


Let's Be More Than This

by mickeysixx



Series: More Than This [1]
Category: The Covenant (2006)
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-07
Updated: 2013-09-07
Packaged: 2017-10-17 06:50:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 70,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/174069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mickeysixx/pseuds/mickeysixx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The last of the old Covenant has died, leaving the new Generation to carry on the legacy, but Caleb soon discovers there is more to the Power than he'd previously thought. Friendships will be tested and secrets revealed as the Sons of Ipswich find out what it really means to be one of the Covenant.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> **Updated Sept 2013:** Streamlined, corrected, refreshed. While I felt out of love with the fandom for a while, this fic and the host of ideas it spawned has never really left me. After re-watching the movie and picking through this again, I think I'm going to try my hand at plotting out the rest of it - if only to get the bloody ideas out of my head once and for all.
> 
> _Originally published March 2011_

  


The clock on the mantel ticked each second of every minute, harmonising with the barely there sound of the drip above him. Young eyes stared out from an ancient face, slowly moving around a room he'd seen a million times before. It was dark and dreary; the wallpaper peeling and the air stale. A perfect reflection of what he’d become, he thought with bitter amusement. Old, stale, falling apart.

His gaze drifted over the room dispassionately until the date on the fresh newspaper left on the table caught his attention.

October 21st.

The muscles in his fingers twitched of their own accord.

Today was his only child's eighteenth birthday.

A sick feeling of helplessness settled in the pit of his stomach. He should be happy. He should be proud that his one and only son was celebrating a milestone year. But he wasn't. How could he be happy when he knew what was to come? How could he feel anything but fear when his son would receive the family legacy at twelve minutes after eleven that night?

William Danvers swallowed as much as his disused throat would allow and dropped his eyes to his still lap. The chair under him and the walls surrounding him and the low fire crackling in the hearth to keep him warm; this was what had become of his life. _This_ was the legacy that Caleb was destined for. 

But Caleb wasn't stupid. While he hadn’t been much of a father to the boy, William knew that his son had seen what had become of him and was determined not to end up like his father and grandfather before him. He’d seen it in his son’s eyes; that conviction, that strength, and need to control it before it controlled him.

But the Power wasn't the only thing that Caleb had to control.

Slowly, his eyes lifted back to the mantel. On either side of the clock sat two silver photo frames. The one on the left contained a photograph of his wife, Evelyn, and Caleb when he was 5 years old. Both of them smiled at the camera, eyes alight with love and laughter on that perfect christmas morning.

The one on the right... His old heart ached inside his chest. Four young faces smiled out from the picture. He remembered everything about the night it was taken; the party, the laughter, carrying it on into the next morning. Arms were flung around necks and shoulders and waists in a way that left no doubt of their friendship. Just four pals standing happily together as the camera clicked. But one only needed to look closer and harder for the signs of their real relationship to be revealed.

Caleb knew about the Power - they all did - but what they _didn't_ know was that the aging was only one side effect. The other was far more difficult to swallow.

Not only did it rule your life, it took your heart as well.

A silent tear rolled down his wrinkled and worn cheek. God, they’d been so happy. They thought nothing could touch them, that nothing would ever change; that they'd never be torn apart. Glenn's body language, the way he stood between Wayne and Joseph and still managed to get his arms around the three of them said it all. They were _his_.

William never expected to bury his friend - his lover - just a few years after that picture was taken. He'd never expected the Power to change them like this. He never thought he'd end up the same way; a bitter old man, rotting away, losing himself piece by piece.

His mind drifted back to his son and his friends as he closed his tired eyes.

For the sake of his son's life, and his heart, he hoped Caleb was strong enough to keep them together.

\--------

They called it The Vaults. Forged by the Power, it served as a safe haven for the Chosen Ones to learn and practice their craft in the times of great fear. Miles of tunnels and chambers were hidden deep under the acres of land now owned by the Danvers line. Nobody but the five families knew of its existence. It was there that the Covenant of Silence was born.

The very rock that made the Vaults was soaked in years of blood and sweat. Magic resonated through the hallowed halls; each generation leaving their mark in one way or another. Centuries passed. It survived through the Witch Trials and the persecutions, wars and raids, betrayals and deaths; serving generation after generation of the Chosen.

But another great war was raging above. The very foundations trembled as the Power spilled out over the ground, angry and hateful in its quest to destroy and assimilate. The main room, the Circle room, was dark. Low rumbles echoed through the large space as Power fought against Power. The time ticked over to seventeen minutes past eleven. At five points around the room, several candles sputtered to life, the flames bursting bright for half a second before calming once more. The air crackled and snapped like electricity, the flames and the shadows on the walls shivering in anticipation.

Tonight would mean the end of an era.

And the beginning of new one.

_"I..."_

The altar in the centre of the room came to life as the first word reverberated through the empty room, the oil that filled the deep grooves in the stone catching alight; a high wall of bright blue flame rising fast and dying back just as quick.

_"...will you..."_

A book, bound in worn leather and so much older than the rest, slid out from the bookcase in the far corner as connected to an invisible wire. The Book of Damnation. Generations of Son's had handled it, learnt from it, added to its pages, and then passed it on to their children to carry on the legacy.

It floated to the altar and hovered above the flames, the covers opening and the pages turning until it lay open, waiting to complete its cycle. Waiting to be restored.

_"...my... power."_

And chaos reigned. The fire raged, flames leaping high and engulfing the Book completely. But instead of blackened pages and the smell of charring leather, a silvery glow enveloped the tome at the heart of the fire, protecting it from the fire’s wrath.

Above ground, the Eldest child fell to his knees as his father's share of the Power descended on him. Below ground, the magic whipped itself into a frenzy. The fire roared, spitting sparks as the Book shook within its hold. Pages fluttered violently as the Book became bigger, weightier; new pages, lost pages, old pages appeared as if summoned, black spidery writing streaking across the yellowed paper like lightning and forming words and spells and predictions that had been hidden from sight eighteen years before.

But as fast as it had started, the fire lost its energy and fell back to the stone altar as though it had never been. The Book hovered in mid-air until the raging war above came to an end. A shiver of Power ran through the room; the Lost Child was finally defeated. As if in answer, the Book dropped back to the altar with a loud, echoing bang, the sudden wind shuttering the candles and drenching the room with darkness once more.

The Circle room was silent once more. With the death of the last Generation the spell was broken, and the Book had been returned to its original state.

And there it stayed, lying at the heart of the engraved pentagram, quietly waiting until the next generation was in need of its wisdom.


	2. Chapter 2

A week later  
It was hard for all of them. Caleb always knew it would be when the day finally came, although he wasn't expecting it to be quite so soon. He’d thought... well, he hadn’t thought really. He’d tried to avoid it at all costs, but today he’d had to face the reality. He couldn’t hide from it any longer.

The cold breeze had kicked up the fall leaves that littered the cemetery, caught in mini tornadoes and unable to stop spinning until they hit the ground. It was a feeling he could relate to. After all that had happened in the last few weeks, Caleb still felt like he was caught in the storm, the dizzying speeds keeping his feet from touching the ground. He remembered how his mother's cold hand had clutched at his arm, head bowed forward and eyes closed as if she couldn't take any more. She didn't cry; that had come later, when she locked herself in the drawing room with only her grief and a bottle of scotch to keep her company.

"Hey."

Caleb glanced towards the door, mouth turning up into a small tired smile at the sight of Sarah ducking in. She returned the smile with one of her own, moving further into the Study that used to be his father's and towards the desk that Caleb sat behind. The leather wing-backed chair was warm at his back as he stared out of the large windows and on to the grounds surrounding the house. The fog had rolled in the night before and looked like it was staying around for a while.

"Hey," he replied, slowly taking in her appearance. He took an almost chauvinistic pleasure in the way she'd dressed and carefully pinned up her hair. Caleb barely held back the snort at his own thoughts, shaking his head a little to get rid of them.

"You ok?" she asked, voice hushed and eyes soft with concern, "You've been up here for a while."

Caleb smiled and reached out a hand to her, finding comfort when she took it and walked around the desk to stand next to him, "I'm ok," He said slowly, "It's been a long day."

"A long _few_ days," She said.

"A long few _weeks_."

They both looked up suddenly to see Reid leaning against the door, eyeing them both casually. A strange feeling shot through him, twisting his gut briefly before it vanished again. He frowned; that had been happening a lot recently.

Sarah squeezed his hand gently, "Reid and Tyler have been keeping me company downstairs."

Caleb arched his eyebrow at Reid as the other teenager moved towards them. He gave them a one-armed shrug, coming up on Caleb's other side and leaning back against the desk. Blue eyes met his briefly and Caleb could see the flash of worry hidden beneath his usual cool exterior. That feeling was back again, settling low in his body. It had been a while since his ‘brother’ had been worried about him; it was nice.

"Good," He said, nodding to Reid and glancing between them, "Where's Pogue?"

"Went out for a ride," Reid answered, "Said he needed to blow off some steam."

Caleb couldn't blame him. He knew they didn't want to go, but they went to support him. Six people had stood around the open grave, watching the pallbearers slowly lower the expensive casket into the ground. To the rest of the world, William Danvers had died in a tragic car accident when Caleb was fourteen. He remembered Pogue standing behind him, shifting from leg to leg and just waiting for the second the ceremony wound up so he could get as far away from the graves as possible.

Four graves, side by side. Three of them held the bodies of Reid's, Tyler's and now Caleb's father. The fourth was just an empty casket. Pogue's father left when he was seven, the grave appeared two years later. No-one knew the details behind Wayne Parry's disappearance and Pogue didn't talk about it. At all. To anyone. Being at the cemetery today must have opened old wounds and Caleb couldn't help but feel concerned over Pogue's emotional state. Even more so than usual.

"Cay?"

The eldest blinked, brought out of his thoughts by Reid's enquiring voice. The blond frowned slightly and glanced between him and Sarah. The young woman smiled sadly at him, worry evident in her eyes.

"I have to go."

He met her halfway, lips pressing to lips softly, innocently, before they parted. There was an awkward pause and Sarah sighed and kissed his cheek, lingering there for a moment before she straightened. Something like guilt stirred in his gut as he looked at her and he went to stand, but a gentle hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"It's ok, I can let myself out."

The words were kind and Caleb appreciated it. With one last squeeze of his hand she let go and turned to leave. The dark haired teen watched her go sadly, ignoring Reid's stare until the door closed behind her. Only then did he look up, directly into surprisingly gentle blue eyes.

"It's over then." It was a quiet statement, not a question, and Caleb nodded in response.

"Yeah."

Reid patted him on the shoulder and Caleb offered him a wan smile for his efforts. Reid opened his mouth to speak but a soft knock interrupted him. The blond craned his neck around to see Tyler standing awkwardly in the doorway. He smiled slightly.

“Hey,” he said, walking towards them slowly and fiddling with the now unfastened cuffs on his dress shirt, “Sarah’s gone.”

“Think she’ll be ok?”

Caleb nodded, “She’ll be fine. It was a mutual thing.”

“Yeah,” Tyler frowned as he came to stand on Reid’s other side, “What’s the deal with that? I thought you guys were pretty serious.”

“So did I,” Caleb answered with a small shake of his head, “I don’t know what happened. Things were going great, and then it just... changed.”

Reid arched an eyebrow, “Changed?”

“Like...” Caleb struggled to find the words to explain, “When I kissed her the night after the fire, it felt different. Like I was kissing my sister or something. It just didn’t feel right.”

“She took it pretty well dont’cha think?” Reid supplied, head cocked to the side, “You don’t think it’s...”

“Chase?” Tyler finished for him. The youngest made a disgusted face, “Ew.”

“No, it’s not Chase,” Caleb threw in. He shrugged, “It just wasn’t meant to be, I guess.”

And he was ok with that. Really, he was. But what he didn’t tell them was how much that scared him. Before the fight at Putnam Barn, he was convinced that he loved Sarah. He could even imagine a future with her. Afterwards it had been entirely different. The spark between them had gone. They had both felt it. Something was missing when he kissed her, like the fire and the passion had died overnight.

Something was definitely up.

“Wow,” Reid said, amusement bleeding into his voice, “The rest of this semester is gonna be awkward.”

“She’s transferring back out in a few days,” Caleb said. He caught the surprised look from both of his friends and he half smiled, “Her idea. She thought it would be easier if she acted like she was too traumatized by the fire to stay here.”

“And is she?”

Caleb shrugged at the youngest, “I think it freaked her out more than she let on. It’s one thing to know about the big family secret, it’s another to nearly be killed by it.”

“Talking of freaking out,” Reid muttered, “You think Pogue’s gonna come back anytime soon?”

The brunette sighed and heaved himself out of the chair, “I don’t know, but I’m gonna see if I can track him down. Maybe get him to talk.”

Tyler snorted, “Good luck with that.” He shook his head and followed the other two teens as they walked out of the study, “Cay, you know it’s like pulling teeth with him.”

Reid grimaced, "I think pulling teeth would be less painful.”

\---------

Ipswich Point was quiet. Lying just outside of Ipswich itself, the peaceful spot was unspoiled by tourists or visitors. It was rare that anyone ever came this far out, which made it a perfect spot to sit and think without being interrupted by anyone.

Pogue Parry leaned against his motorbike, ankles crossed and hands deep in his jeans pockets. The late October breeze licked harsh colour into his cheeks, the leather biker jacket his only protection against the autumn chill. This was his favourite hide-out when things got too much. If he needed to be alone, the Point was where he went to blow off steam, and today he sorely needed the peace and quiet it offered him.

He'd always been touchy about funerals. Sometimes he wasn't even sure why. Maybe it was because there were so many unanswered questions surrounding his own father's death. Maybe it was because they never actually buried him, or even _found_ his body. It was just an empty casket stuffed underground to give closure to something he couldn't understand.

It wasn't that he was angry. Not now. Hell, he could hardly remember the man. Just a hazy image of a person who was once a part of his life. What he _did_ remember was the overwhelming sadness he'd felt at the time. Pogue had been seven years old when he'd walked out on them. He didn't know what had happened, just that the grown ups were upset and always wanted him to play in the back yard or his room so he wouldn't hear them talking. Two years later they buried him, or so Pogue had been lead to believe. As he grew older, he carefully pieced the puzzle together. Some things he figured out on his own, others he'd pulled out of his mom or, more surprisingly, Gorman.

But today, standing before the line of graves at the cemetery, had been too much. They'd buried William Danvers twice now and it got to Pogue more than it should have. He'd itched to get away from everything and everyone as fast as he could. As soon as he hit home, he threw on his most comfortable jeans and t-shirt and jumped on his bike.

The air behind him stirred and the hairs on the back of his neck lifted, but Pogue didn't move. If anything, he relaxed more at the presence. A few seconds later he heard the tires crunch softly in the fine gravel as the car slowed to a stop and then the door opening and closing as Caleb got out. It was strange how he could feel Caleb even more now he'd Ascended; almost like a physical presence. Intense and commanding. It stirred something within him that he couldn't name, another thing Pogue wanted to lock away in his mind and forget about.

"I'm fine, Caleb," He called out, knowing what the other teen was going to ask before he even asked it. He knew Caleb too well.

"Are you?"

He snorted but didn't answer. Caleb came to a stop beside him and Pogue could feel his gaze on him, stripping back each layer until he was laid bare. A shiver ran down his spine and he passed it off as the chill in the air.

"So you found me," he said instead, sarcasm creeping into his voice, "You gonna tell on me now?" Caleb didn't answer and he could almost see the raised eyebrow out the corner of his eye. He shook his head in apology, folding in on himself more under the scrutiny.

"Wanna tell me what's going on?" Caleb offered.

"No." He turned to face him head on, bracing himself for the sharp tug inside him that always appeared when he looked at him. He dropped the sarcasm, "I'm fine, Cay. Promise."

The dark haired boy stared at him for long moments before he nodded softly and relented with a soft "Okay." Pogue nodded and went back to staring out over the cliffs, watching the fog roll over the ocean like a blanket.

"You gonna come home?"

It took him a few seconds to answer but he nodded and finally straightened up. Caleb clapped him on the shoulder, leaving his hand there for a few moments longer than necessary before stepping away and heading back to his car.

Pogue swung his leg over the bike and settled into the familiar hold. He glanced out over the cliffs one last time before he slid his helmet on and fired up the bike, speeding off in the direction as Caleb's car and feeling a little more settled than he had been before.

He just wondered how long it would last for this time.


	3. Chapter 3

"Tyler."

The tone was a warning one but he knew better than to take it seriously, so it was ignored him in favour of gnawing on his thumb nail. It had been forty minutes since Caleb had left to go find Pogue. Not that he was worried or anything. He knew they could both take care of themselves. They were perfectly fine and if anything _was_ wrong, they'd be the first to know about it.

Ok, so maybe he _was_ worried. Tyler had taken guard by the large window that overlooked the drive and the gates to the house, waiting impatiently for the two older boys to return. The late afternoon sun was slowly sinking towards the horizon but there was still no sign of them. He'd never seen Pogue so agitated before, so restless.

" _Tyler!_ "

He made a face and flipped Reid off but pulled his thumb away from his mouth anyway. The blond rolled his eyes and rolled off the sofa to join the youngest by the window. He caught Tyler's wrist before it fell back to his side and brought the abused thumb to his own mouth, kissing it gently. Tyler's face softened.

"Stop worrying, ok? He's gonna be fine."

"I know that," he said, finally turning away from the window, "I know. I just... I can't help it."

Reid sighed and tugged him back towards the sofa. Tyler followed willingly. They'd officially been together for just over two months and that thought alone was enough to send a secret thrill racing through him. Sometimes it just didn't seem real.

He'd had a crush on Reid for as long as he could remember. He was too young to understand it back then, when they were kids rough-housing in the back yard, but as he grew older he realized that he didn't want Reid to just be his best friend or his brother. He wanted more than that.

But Reid was a flirt and hadn't been able to keep a steady girlfriend for longer than a few months - not to mention that he didn't seem interested in guys - so Tyler hadn't held out much hope of there being anything other than friendship between them.

If it hadn't have been for Reid sneaking into his bed one morning and kissing him, Tyler would never have known that Reid had felt the same way.

"They're fine," Reid said again as he settled into him on the couch. He smirked and wormed his fingers into Tyler's side, making the younger teen squirm, "So quit worrying."

"Okay, okay, I'll stop!" He laughed, hands quickly finding Reid's and pulling them away, "I'll stop."

The blond laughed and dipped his head to kiss him. Tyler smiled and opened up for him, tongue sneaking out to stroke along Reid's. Sometimes it was like they couldn’t get enough of each other; one touch breaking the dam and bringing control crashing down around them.The younger boy shifted until he was straddling Reid's lap - knees pressed either side of his hips and mouths still connected - and slow and sweet quickly turned to hot and desperate. Reid's fingers found the fastenings on Tyler's dress pants and popped them open while his tongue drove the other teen crazy.

"Reid," he panted, eyes rolling up in the back of his head as lips found that spot just below his ear, "R-Reid...we can't..."

"Why not?" The blond answered against his skin, hand already sliding down the front of his now open pants. He loved getting Tyler all hot and bothered like this. The way he breathed out his name sent chills down his spine. "I want you. Now."

Tyler whined in the back of his throat, "Cay...Caleb's mom..."

"Probably passed out already. She won't leave her room until tomorrow."

Whatever argument Tyler lined up next vanished as soon as Reid's cool hand found its prize. Another hand pushed gently at his chest until the younger boy obeyed the action, straightening up almost breathlessly. He tried to glare at his boyfriend but he couldn’t quite make it work. Talented fingers danced along his cock, palm sliding just the right way and making thought difficult. He drew out Reid's name on a moan, unable to stop his hips from rocking into his hand.

"Love seein' you like this," Reid murmured, dragging his eyes down to watch his hand move, "Love seeing my hands on you."

That was another thing. He found out pretty early on in this relationship that Reid loved to talk. There was nothing he loved more than to tease him mercilessly with a constant litany of dirty words and encouragements, waiting for the hot rush of red that would bloom over his cheeks and down his throat.

He rocked his hips in a gentle rhythm, pleased to find that Reid wasn't unaffected. His erection pressed against his ass, separated by layers of cloth. Tyler smirked and shuffled back a little more, grinding down on him and feeling Reid stiffen and hiss at the sensation.

"Bitch."

He snickered and reached his own hand down to cover Reid's, adding to the motions and the strokes. Wouldn't be long now.

A shiver passed over both of them and Reid gave a disappointed groan, head falling back to thump against the back of the sofa. Tyler whined softly and jerked his hips, trying in vain to speed up the process.

"Dammit," he hissed, "I told you-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Since Caleb had Ascended they'd all been able to feel him coming, his greater share of the Power calling out to theirs whenever he got close. Reid reluctantly pulled his hand away from Tyler, bringing his thumb to his mouth to lick the trace of pre-come from his skin. Tyler shivered and glared at him but he just shrugged and smirked in return.

"I hate you," he murmured. Reid's eyebrow arched and he glanced meaningfully down to his erection, which was still hanging out of his pants. He flushed, "Shut up."

They both just managed to untangle themselves and straighten their clothes before the front door opened. They shared a small, secretive smile before walking out of the main room and meeting them in the foyer and Tyler hoped that it wasn't obvious that he and Reid had been fooling around.

"I'm okay," Pogue said, pre-empting whatever questions that were heading his way. He'd seen the youngest teen open his mouth, eyes concerned and worried for him. He was tired of people asking already. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the concern, but it pissed him off that they were handling him like a six year old.

Caleb threw his keys onto the side table and in the second it took to lay eyes on them, everything changed.

Tyler watched with morbid curiosity as the open, tired look slipped from his features and in its place was a hard, fierce expression. His eyes locked on to them and he had to fight the urge to gulp under the sudden intense stare. He wasn't so much as staring _at_ them as staring _through_ them. He glanced nervously to Pogue, who looked just as confused as he felt.

"Cay?" He tried. The only response he got was a low rumbling growl. Power sizzled along his skin and he drew in a sharp breath as it seared through him. Caleb looked...

_Hungry._

The look shot through him like a hot poker, heading straight to his groin and doing nothing to sooth his current ache. Caleb had never looked at them like that before, but damn if it didn't get his pulse racing and his heart hammering in his ribcage. Lust spread through him, making his mouth dry and his pupils dilate.

_Tyler, get a grip! What the hell is wrong with you?_

The older teen took a step forward and both he and Reid automatically backed up. In that second of movement whatever held Caleb lost its grip and released him. Just like that, the hungry look melted away and shock and confusion replaced it, dark eyes suddenly wide.

"The _hell_ , Cay?" Reid said from beside him. He didn't answer.

"Caleb?" Pogue stepped up to his friend and gripped his shoulder with a worried frown, "You ok man?"

He glanced up quickly to Pogue and then nodded, "Yeah...yeah, I'm fine." He sounded like he was dazed. Shocked. "I'm gonna go.... get a shower."

The three of them watched as he turned and made his way up the stairs without so much as a glance. A few seconds later the sound of a door slamming and locking echoed in the hushed silence. Pogue looked to Reid and Tyler and knew that their confused expressions mirrored his own.

"What the _hell_ was that?"

\--------

As soon as the bathroom door was locked, Caleb pressed his forehead against the cool wood and tried to calm his breathing. Panic shot through him; _what the hell is wrong with me?!_ Unfamiliar feelings coursed around his body, tremors shivered through his skin.  
The second he'd set eyes on them something inside him stirred. It was hot and hard and burning inside him, and it bore down so fast that he couldn't even think straight. His mind screamed _mine!_ and his body urged him to step up and claim what was his. It suffocated him with need and want and _lust_. He'd been attracted to people before, but never like that. Never with such a raw, burning ache that demanded to be sated.

He'd never felt _anything_ like that before.

He could practically smell it on them. The sex, the arousal, the annoyance at the interruption. He couldn't stop himself from noticing how close they were standing, Reid's untucked shirt or the pale flush that coloured Tyler's cheeks. His mind had assaulted him with images of them tangled together, naked and moaning as they brought each other off. Caleb's hands convulsed on the door, eyes squeezing shut as another wave of lust crashed over him, making him ache even more, and he tried his best to block it out. It wasn't that they were guys; he saw the appeal in both genders, although he'd never advertised the fact. What freaked him out more was these were his closest friends, the guys he considered to be his brothers. He shouldn't feel this way about them, ever.

His body begged to differ. He growled low in his throat and turned away from the door. Stripping out of his dress pants and shirt, he turned on the shower and stepped under the spray, pulling in a sharp breath as the cold water rained down on his fevered skin. Goosebumps raced across his flesh and Caleb shivered but he forced himself to stay under the spray. _Focus on the water, Danvers. Just focus on that and forget everything else._

It was easier said than done. The water managed to cool down his body temperature but it did nothing to dampen the fire raging inside of him. He couldn't forget the way they looked or the thought of them moaning his name as they came for each other. A sound, halfway between a sob and a moan, slipped past his lips and Caleb found he had no willpower anymore. Nothing would make this go away. Nothing except...

One hand braced against the tiles while the other slid down the front of his body, the water making the drag of skin on skin easier. He felt each muscle of his abs jump under his palm as he skimmed over them, and then without hesitation, took a hold of hard flesh firmly. He hissed, the sound barely carrying over the noise of the shower, and closed his eyes as his hand found just the right hold. In his mind he conjured up a picture of Sarah. She was beautiful, naked, pressed against him tight. Caleb forced himself to imagine dipping his head to tongue over a nipple, imagine her moaning happily, squirming against him.

Caleb grunted softly, his hand stroking just the way he liked. The Sarah in his mind smiled at him, wide and pure like an over-excited child, and Caleb couldn't stop his own returning grin. He imagined himself pushing into her hot grip, feeling her body tense around him, mouth forming that perfect 'o', moaning out her pleasure as he slowly made love to her.

But with each thrust he made, something about her changed. Her hair became shorter, blonder, and thicker. The texture of the strands changed under his fingers as they pushed through them. Her mouth thinned a little, lips morphing into a seductive smirk even as they parted to pull in air. Pliant flesh turned to hard muscle, a jaw line sharpened and powerful legs hitched higher up his body to give him more room.

" _Reid..._ " he moaned softly to the empty room.

Caleb picked up his pace, hand jacking almost brutally as he imagined himself pumping into Reid's ass. He couldn't stop himself from picturing Reid's smart mouth slack with pleasure, mouthing dirty words to him as he lost himself to the fast pace of their coupling.

His orgasm hit without warning and left him breathless and weak. His fingers scrabbled at the wet tiles as he stroked himself through his completion, hitching breaths and muted groans hidden under the sound of the water. Power crawled along his skin, making him itch and prolonging the pleasure until he couldn't take anymore. Caleb leaned forward and pressed his forehead against the shower wall, eyes heavy as he watched the dirty water swirl down the drain. Fine tremors shook his legs, but he ignored them, and after a few minutes he reached up to turn the water off.

Shame and guilt settled over him like a blanket. _What am I doing? This isn't right._

The next thought shook him to the core.

_What's happening to me?_


	4. Chapter 4

The nib of the pen pressed down gently into Tyler's arm, each careful stroke deliberate and calculated. Blue eyes watched black ink streak out with each movement of his hand, creating sweeping curves and sharp points and marvelling in the contrast between the dark colour against Tyler's lighter skin. Reid was bored; Professor Millen liked the sound of his own voice and tended to talk the class comatose most weeks. He usually took this opportunity to put his head down and catch up on his sleep, but today he didn't feel the need. Instead he snagged Tyler's arm and decided to use him as a life-size doodle bear.

Tyler for the most part let him do whatever he wanted. He was taking the occasional note on the class and trying to amuse himself with his own drawings on the paper in front of him.

"Mr Garwin," Reid looked up at the sound the Professor's irritated voice, "If you'll please stop tattooing Mr Simms and pay attention to the class?"

Reid put the pen down and gave the Professor a mock salute which sent a ripple of amusement through the otherwise bored room. Millen gave him an unimpressed look and went back to boring the class once more. The blond shook his head and snorted softly and turned back to Tyler, who was inspecting the artwork that now adorned the inside of his left forearm.

 _'Mm...tattooed. Now there's a thought'_ Tyler arched his eyebrow at him and Reid barely stopped himself from running his tongue over his lips. _'What? It would look hot on you'_

_'I'm not getting a tattoo, Re.'_

_'Why not?'_

_'Because!'_ The youngest gave a shudder and shot Reid a look, _'Needles. That's all I'm saying.'_

"Baby," he muttered under his breath, smirk playing around his lips. He turned his own arm over. "It's not that bad."

"Mister Garwin!"

He sighed and gave his attention to the Professor once more. When the lecturer turned away towards the board, his eyes flicked down and caught the honey coloured eyes that were watching him from a few rows across. Pogue smirked up at him and Reid wiggled his fingers at the other boy in a mock wave. As usual, the long-haired teen sat with Caleb on the other half of the room in a half-hearted attempt to try and get some work done. Well... on Caleb's part anyway. Pogue just followed his lead.

His eyes slid over to the eldest member of their group, unfamiliar worry bubbling inside him. Something was up with him.

_'Hey, you get through to him yet?'_

The other teen shook his head a little before replying. _'No, man. Every time I ask he just clams up'_

Reid frowned, _'It's been like three days, and he **still** won’t look us in the eye. And don't give me that bullshit about him grieving, ok? Old Man Danvers was pretty much dead before he died; this ain't got nothing to do with him.'_

 _'Might not look us in the eye, but he sure as hell looks **at** us'_ Tyler sent to Reid. The blond teen glanced at him, surprised.

Unaware of Tyler's comment, Pogue shot back _'I know, asshole, I wasn't gonna say that.'_ He turned back and saw the other boy sigh, _'Look, I'll try again later, ok?'_

The bell rang to signal the end of class and Reid nodded and stood with the rest of the group, waiting for Tyler to get his stuff together and lead the way out. He watched Caleb and Pogue leave in the middle of the throng of people that couldn't wait to get out of the room.

"What d'ya mean 'he looks _at_ us'?" He asked as soon as they exited. A small smile played around Tyler's mouth as they walked towards the lockers.

"Exactly what I said," he answered. When Reid gave him an irritated look, he snorted and carried on, keeping his voice low, "He looks at us when he thinks we're not looking."

"Uh-huuuh. And you know this, how?"

The dark haired boy shrugged, "I've caught him staring at you a couple of times. And at Pogue and me, I guess."

"He stares at us." Reid repeated, eyebrow arched, "Ok, ‘cause that's not creepy at all." He shook his head, expression showing his confusion, "Why?"

Tyler laughed, "Why do you think?" They came to a stop at his locker and the youngest unlocked it quickly and transferred his books over, "I mean, I can't be sure, but..."

He left the sentence hanging and it took Reid a couple of moments to understand what Tyler was implying. Light eyebrows lifted towards his hairline and he gave a shocked laugh, "Wait, you can't be serious."

"Think about it, Re. He tripped out on us back at the house three days ago; goes all growly and shit and stares at us like we're next on the menu, and then when he comes out of it, he locks himself upstairs. And since then he can't even seem to look at us without squirming and trying to get away as fast as he possibly can." He gave Reid a look, "It's not rocket science."

"But it's...," Reid groped around for words like he couldn't fathom what Tyler was telling him, "It's _Caleb_ , man. He's the straightest person I know."

Tyler laughed and closed his locker, "Not long ago, _you_ were the straightest person _I_ knew, and look how that's turned out."

"That's different," He said, almost pouting as he leaned against the other lockers, "That's just you."

The other boy rolled his eyes at the roundabout endearment and clicked the lock closed again. "Well, maybe it's the same for Caleb. Maybe it's just 'us'"

Reid didn't know how he felt about that. Tyler was really the only guy he'd ever been with and the only guy he _wanted_ to be with. He'd never thought about anyone else before. But something about Caleb had changed, he couldn't deny that. It made him curious and annoyed and frustrated.

"Dammit, why can't things be simple?" The blond huffed out as he followed his boyfriend down the hall.

The youngest snorted again and shook his head, wry smile curling his lips. "We're the Covenant, man, things are never going to be simple."

\--------

Caleb scratched at his arm nervously, a frown wrinkling his forehead as they made their way through the school grounds. The Power itched under his skin and no amount of scratching would get rid of the irritating feeling. It only seemed to happen if he was around the others for too long. It was the first sign. The next would be the heat that slinked through his body, and then after that... well, he didn't know what would happen after that. He never stuck around long enough to find out. Unfortunately for Caleb, the itching wasn't going to go away. Not if Pogue decided to hang around with him during their free period.

It was getting increasingly difficult to think of excuses to get away from them. He knew they were getting frustrated with him and he couldn't blame them. It wasn't that he didn't _want_ to be around them, he just couldn't. Not without doing something stupid.

Like pinning them down and shoving his tongue down their throat.

He shook the image out of his head before he could dwell on it. Dwelling got him into trouble.

".... and I screwed Aaron Abbott in the showers after practice this morning."

Immediately his hackles rose and jealousy clenched like an icy fist around his heart. Caleb's head shot up, eyes wide as he stared at his best friend, " _What?_ "

Pogue just arched an eyebrow at him. "That got your attention, huh," he shook his head, "You haven't heard a word I've said, have you?"

A joke. Holy shit... he was just joking. The anger and the jealousy drained out of him as fast as it had come, leaving him empty. He tried to regain control of his breathing and he shook his head absently to the other boy's question. "No, sorry."

"I _said_ do you want to head into town? I want to go to Henderson’s and check on the Bike."

Henderson’s was the local mechanic shop in Ipswich. They bought, sold and fixed up everything from cars to motorbikes to trucks and it was easily Pogue's favourite place in the town, right next to Nicky's. His Ducati was currently in for repairs following the aftermath of his run in with Chase.

"Yeah," Caleb said, feeling slightly detached, "Yeah, sure."

His friend looked at him closely, eyebrows drawn together in worried lines. Caleb did his best to ignore it and carry on walking towards the parking lot, but it was futile. He looked up just as Pogue opened his mouth to speak, and before he'd even drawn in breath, Caleb knew what was coming next. Anger sparked and his eyes flashed, emotions doing a sharp 180.

"Don't ask me if I'm alright, Pogue," He growled. The younger of the two let out his breath and closed his mouth, blinking at the sudden change in Caleb.

 _Get a hold of yourself, Danvers,_ the voice in the back of his mind snapped, _Stop acting crazy. You're making them suspicious._ He knew he should listen, but he just couldn't help it anymore. He knew they were getting pissed off with his mood, but dammit, he couldn't tell them what was going on. He barely knew himself.

They walked in silence until they neared Caleb's car and thankfully Pogue decided to change subject.

"So I heard Tracy D talking to some of the girls this morning," Caleb could hear the smirk in his voice and it made something inside him twist, "Word get's round fast man. Now that you're single and all, they're trying to see who will be the next successful in bagging you."

Something in him snapped. His forced calm was obliterated with those words and he froze dead still and turned to face Pogue, eye blazing. The other boy took an involuntary step back at the heat of the glare.

"Well maybe I don't _want_ any of the _girls_!" He snapped, his anger taking over. "Ever think about that?"

"Whoa... dude, ease up," Pogue said quietly, holding his hands up and trying to calm him down, "I was just saying-"

"Well don't!" The Power crawled under his skin and swirled around him with such a sudden force that Pogue had to back up another step. Then the younger male frowned, his expression changing from shock and confusion to annoyance and determination. This wasn't right; Caleb needed to snap out of it. He set his jaw and stepped forward again.

"Caleb, calm the _fuck_ down."

The words were quiet and firm and as soon as they left Pogue's mouth, Caleb's anger abated. His friend's tone had flipped a switch inside him; it was the only way to describe it. Tension leached out of his muscles and left him feeling weak and tired and he found himself leaning back into the Mustang to keep himself from crumpling to the ground. What the hell was going on?

A large, warm hand landed gently on his shoulder and Caleb had just enough control over himself not to shiver under the touch. He glanced up into worried eyes and a part of him wanted to erase the feeling from his friend.

"What's going on, Cay?" He said, his voice low and soft. It affected Caleb in ways he really didn't want to think about right now. "What's gotten into you?"

"I..." he started, and then sighed, lifting a hand to his eyes and rubbing them tiredly, "I really don't know, man."

"You're starting to freak us out," Pogue said, "You're having more mood swings than a chick with PMS." He paused and took his hand from Caleb's shoulder, stuffing both in his pants pockets, feeling slightly uncomfortable, "Look, we're worried about you, man. We just wanna help."

 _But you can't, you wouldn't want to._ Caleb sighed and shook his head, suddenly feeling exhausted and glad for the solid car at his back. "I know, I just... I can't explain it." He looked Pogue in the eye and tried to smile, although he had a feeling the look was more pained than reassuring. "I'll be ok, I just need to... figure some stuff out. But I'll be ok."

The long haired teen looked uncertain but let the issue go. Caleb went to scratch his arm again and then stopped. The itch was gone. But his mental sigh of relief at the realization was short-lived. The older teen suddenly became aware of how close Pogue was standing. His mouth went dry. The smell of him drifted on the soft breeze; a strange mix of chlorine, motor-oil and leather. Caleb's pulse quickened. If he reached out, he could easily wrap his hands around the large, muscular arms. He could flip their positions and press him up against the car, a knee between his thighs-

"Caleb?"

He jolted out of his thoughts and swallowed. Pogue was looking at him strangely. _Oh god._ Blood rushed through his veins; hot and fast and wanting. This must be the second stage of whatever the fuck disease it was.

"I-I gotta go," He said, hand fumbling for the lock and the handle of the car door, fighting down the blush that was spreading across his cheeks, "I'll catch you later, ok?"

Before Pogue could respond he got into the Mustang and slammed the door. His hands shook as he rammed the key into the ignition and started the engine. He needed to get away, fast.

"Yeah, later," the other boy answered lamely as he watched Caleb peel out of the parking lot like the devil himself was after him.

\--------

The keys clattered loudly as they hit the side table, the shiny metal skidding along the polished wood until they came finally to a stop. Caleb sighed tiredly and shut the front door behind him, leaning against it for a few moments as he tried to pull himself together. The drive back home had soothed his nerves and the burning need had slowly leached away as though it had never been there. Dark eyes closed and his head thumped softly against the thick wood. How much longer was this going to go on for?

Heading upstairs, he stripped out of his school blazer and threw it over the banister on the landing. In the bathroom he turned on the cold water and let it run while he rolled up his sleeves. Then he cupped his hands under the stream and collected as much as he could, and leaning over the sink, splashed his face in an effort to wake himself up. He felt tired, lethargic. Empty. Like a piece of him was missing.

After a few minutes he turned off the tap and grabbed a towel from the side. As he straightened up to dry off, he caught his reflection in the bathroom mirror and stumbled back a step in shock. His skin was pale, almost sickly looking, which made the dark circles under his eyes stand out even more. God... he looked _sick_. With a soft sigh the shock melted away and in its place came resignation. He hadn't been sleeping well since his Ascending. At first it was the horror and the anguish over the battle with Chase, but as those nightmares faded, other dreams began. Hot, steamy visions of sex and dominance which left him hard and aching in the middle of the night. He felt drained.

The hairs on the back of Caleb's neck lifted and he stilled. Someone was watching him. Slowly he turned on the spot, having the sudden absurd notion that if he moved too quickly, the other party would pounce and go for his throat. The door to the bathroom was open; Caleb hadn't bothered to close it when he'd entered. She stood in space between the two walls, sharp eyes clearly taking in every detail of him and Caleb felt strangely naked under her gaze. After her calculating gaze swept over him, she straightened a little more.

"We need to talk."


	5. Chapter 5

Evelyn Danvers looked every bit the matriarch of the Danvers family as she stood next to the ornate fireplace in the Drawing Room. She watched him silently from her position and he had to fight the urge to squirm under her scrutiny. She looked sober, which relieved and scared Caleb in equal measure. Drunk, she was easy to handle and brush off when she rambled on about the past. Sober, she was something else; something that even Caleb, with all the Power he possessed, still shied away from. He'd always hated getting into trouble with his mother.

The silence was getting to him and he shifted in the plush wingback chair. The movement seemed to get her going and she heaved a quiet sigh, turning her eyes to the small fire crackling in the hearth.

"I can give you some of the answers you are looking for."

It was a strange statement to start with and Caleb's gaze fixed on his mother's face. He frowned, "What?"

"The way you've been feeling, Caleb," she replied a little irritably, glancing at him again. Dark eyebrows drew together and he gave his mom a confused look. Evelyn shook her head and stepped away from the fireplace, moving to take the twin chair adjacent to him.

"I had hoped it would skip this generation," she said quietly, her eyes tracing the imperfections in the coffee table between them, "But clearly..."

This conversation was getting stranger by the minute. Maybe she wasn't as sober as he thought she was. "Mom? What are you talking about?"

Weary brown eyes lifted to his, "There are some things you don't know about the Power."

Caleb had a sudden sinking feeling.

"When you Ascended, you received your full share of the Power. Unfortunately, under the circumstances, you also received your father's share." He knew this already. He took a breath in to stop her but she held up a hand, "Caleb, let me finish. Please." He closed his mouth. "With your father being so frail and me..." She paused and swallowed before carrying on, "There was no-one to talk you through the changes you'd be going through when you came into your Power."

"Changes?" That sinking feeling became a little stronger.

"You've been feeling them since the night you Ascended, more so in the last few days."

The teenager swallowed and tried not to squirm as the realization of the subject matter hit him. "I," he coughed a little nervously, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Evelyn fixed her son with an amused smirk, "I'm not blind, Caleb." Her eyes sharpened, "Or deaf."

Oh. _Oh!_ Caleb suddenly wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole. A persistent flush burned his cheeks and he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. Oh god, the last thing he wanted to do was have this conversation with his own _mother_.

She chuckled at him, a sound he wasn’t used to hearing from her these days, "Calm down, dear," She said. "I didn't stay around long."

" _Mom!_ " he hissed.

"Oh Caleb, calm _down_ ," she repeated sternly, "You need to know what's going on and I'm the only one who can tell you right now, so sit up and listen." Caleb obeyed, but he kept his eyes on the coffee table. There was no way he could look her in the eyes right now.

"Power draws Power," she started, ignoring her son's avoidance. "You feel the other's presence a lot more than you did before. You're attracted to it, to them, and no matter what you do, that attraction will not go away. Not until the need is satisfied."

He winced at her words but tried his best not to squrim harder. His next question was awkward but a part of him needed confirmation of his growing fears, "And how do I, er, satisfy it?"

Evelyn arched an eyebrow meaningfully and Caleb's cheeks reddened. Yeah, that wasn't the answer he was looking for.

"It's why Chase came looking for you. Not just because he wanted the Power for himself, but because he wanted _you_ along with it. His need for you combined with the Power he couldn’t control drove him to insanity."

A dark shudder passed over him; that didn't even bear thinking about but it did explain why Chase was so weird with him, especially when they'd been in Sarah's bathroom. The frown was back again and he glanced at his mother, "How do you know so much about this?"

Her eyes softened and she looked away from her son. He watched her as she watched the flames crackle and jump in the grate, losing herself to the memories. He'd seen that look before, countless times. She would sit here most nights, glass of brandy in one hand and a cigarette in the other, staring into the past.

"Your father was the same," she said finally, softly, "It comes with every generation. I always knew something was going on, but I didn't have any proof. Then, when the Power started to take over, he told me everything. He said I had to know so I could tell you when you turned eighteen." She snorted softly, "I think he knew he wouldn't be here to tell you himself."

Although a part of Caleb shied away from this new information about his father's life, another stronger part was curious.

"Didn't it bother you?" He asked, voice hushed. He saw the slight grimace that passed over her face.

"Yes," she replied honestly, "But William was adamant that it was different with them than it was with me. He loved them, but he also loved me and you. We were as much a part of his world as they were. Besides," Her shoulders lifted in an elegant shrug, "he had them first. I couldn't really feel betrayed because technically I came second."

The sadness in her voice pulled at Caleb's heart and he reached over to take her hand. Evelyn turned away from the fire and offered him a small, loving smile, fingers curling around her son's. The moment was peaceful and Caleb suddenly realized how much he'd missed his mom. The past few years had been a downward spiral of drink and depression and it hurt Caleb more than he thought when he realized he couldn't give her the help she needed.

A series of short sharp vibrations broke the moment and Caleb pulled his hand away to fish his cell from his pants pocket. Pogue's name flashed on the screen and the teenager sighed. He cancelled the call.

"I gotta get back to school."

His mother nodded and offered her cheek as he leaned forward to kiss her. As he stood, she fixed him with a serious stare, "Think about what I said, Caleb. Things aren't going to get any easier for you and I don't want to see you hurt."

Caleb paused and nodded slowly before finally leaving the room. He grabbed his jacket from the stair-rail as he jogged down the stairs and out the door. At least now he knew what was going on, or part of it at least.

Unfortunately, the answers didn't put his mind at ease like he thought they would.

\--------

Nicky's bar was humming with its usual weekday activity. The jukebox on the other side of the bar was set to random but the small dance floor was empty. Regulars took their usual positions at the bar or around a table, slowly winding down after a day at work, although Pogue knew a couple had probably been there all day. Nicky’s was a popular local hangout, and the only one that allowed students from Spenser. Ipswich was a small town with very little entertainment. Nicky had opened his doors to the Spenser crowd around five years ago with the agreement that nobody under the age of seventeen entered the bar and _no-one_ had anything other than soda.

"Sarah left town today." Pogue pulled his eyes away from Reid and Tyler's pool game to glance at his girlfriend. Kate tucked a stray lock of dark hair behind her ear as she ducked her head to sip on her coke.

"She ok?" He'd genuinely liked the blond girl, despite what other people might have thought. He knew how much being involved with the Power sucked.

Kate nodded and gave him a small, sad smile, "Yeah, she seems to be. The whole thing really shook her up. Shame, I actually liked her you know?" Pogue nodded, "How's Caleb dealing?"

It was on the tip of Pogue's tongue to say _he's not_ but he stopped himself just in time. He didn't attend his last classes and Pogue knew he wasn't anywhere on school grounds. They hadn't seen him since he’d bolted. He wasn't dealing with anything very well lately, but whatever it was that was bothering him sure as hell had nothing to do with the fire or with Chase.

"Same," Pogue said finally, "It shook him up pretty bad too." Kate gave him a sympathetic look and nodded before scooting her chair closer and laying her head on his chest. He automatically put an arm around her shoulders.

"God, I think I'm gonna be sick."

Tyler chuckled at Reid's muttered remark and lined up his shot. He glanced over to their table and smirked at Reid's objection. "Jealous, Re?"

The blond snorted just as Tyler took his shot, "Am I that obvious?" He drawled sarcastically. The youngest grinned and shook his head as the ball bounced and missed, handing play over to his boyfriend. "I don't know man, you think it will last?"

"Kate and Pogue?" Tyler asked, surprised by the question. He shifted his gaze back over to their usual table, taking in the pair as they grinned at each other and talked animatedly, "I don't know."

"But, you don't think they're serious, right?" Reid pushed, sinking another ball in the pockets. Tyler frowned and turned back to the blond.

"I don't _know_ , man," He said, watching Reid carefully. "Why are you so interested all of a sudden?"

Reid just shrugged and lined up his shot. Dark eyebrows drew together as he watched Reid aim and shoot, the ball sinking into the left pocket. That was weird. Reid had never had a problem with Kate before. Tyler jumped when his cell phone buzzed in his pocket and he dug it out of his jeans with a frown. Something like relief shot through him at the name running across the flashing display.

Caleb.

Tyler flipped the phone open, "Where the hell have you been?"

His tense words drew the blond's attention away from the game and he frowned, leaning a hip against the table and watching Tyler carefully.

" _Hello to you too, Baby boy,_ " came the vaguely amused reply. The other teen rolled his eyes, " _Around._ "

"That's not an answer, Cay," He said, flicking eyes over to Pogue, who was on his way over to the tables. "We haven't seen you since first period. Where've you been?"

Caleb sighed tiredly, " _I'm fine. I just needed to sort some things out. Where are you?_ "

"At Nicky's."

" _Ok, well, tell Pogue I got his messages; all six of them._ " He could almost hear the older boy rolling his eyes, " _I'll see you later._ "

"Wait," Tyler jumped in, now even more confused. "Aren't you gonna join us?"

" _Not tonight, I'm... I'm tired and I'm still working through some stuff. I'll see you tomorrow._ "

"Cay-" But it was too late; he'd already hung up. The youngest muttered a curse and snapped his phone shut. Dammit!

"Well?" Pogue said a little too eagerly, "What did he say?"

Tyler looked up and shoved his cell phone back into his pocket, "He said he got your messages and that he was fine."

"That's it?" Tyler nodded and watched the troubled yet pissed off expression settle over the older teen's features, "This is driving me crazy, man. What the hell is up with him?"

Reid and Tyler looked at each other, their earlier discussion passing silently between them. They made an agreement not to say anything until they knew for sure. "We don't know," he said, returning to Pogue, "But whatever it is I hope he snaps out of it soon."

"Everything ok?"

Kate came up on Pogue's left and pressed herself against his side, securing an arm around his waist and looking between the three of them with curious dark eyes. Pogue forced himself to calm down and he returned the hold a little uncomfortably.

"Yeah," He lied, feeling edgy, "Yeah, everything's fine." He shook his head, "Look, I'm gonna go for a ride, ok?" Before Kate could answer, Pogue looked at Tyler, "Can you give her a ride back?"

Bewildered, Tyler nodded, "Sure, man."

Pogue clapped him on the arm in thanks and then pressed a swift kiss to Kate's temple, "I'll see you later."

He untangled himself from Kate and then walked out the bar, grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair on the way out. Kate watched him go, looking completely thrown at the sudden change of mood. She frowned and turned back to Reid and Tyler.

"Ookaaay," she said, stretching out the word, "What's going on here?"

The two boys glanced at each other, but it was Reid who answered.

"That's the million dollar question."


	6. Chapter 6

Twenty minutes later, the three teenagers piled out of the bar and into the parking lot. Kate tugged her jacket tighter around her body, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth. The early November air held a crisp chill, but tonight was actually one of the milder nights. Tyler had snagged one of Reid's hoodies before they left and both had layered up, but it didn't stop the stiff breeze worming its way into the places that weren't covered.

"Think Pogue's back at the dorms by now?"

Tyler shrugged at Kate's question. He had his hands in both pockets and was slowly leading them to the Hummer. "Who knows," He answered, "Maybe he's gone to find Caleb?"

Kate huffed and shook her head, "I'm so sick of his disappearing!" The two boys looked at each other and then at Kate, her expression stormy as she carried on, "It's like he doesn't even care anymore."

"C'mon, Kate," Tyler started, trying to calm the girl down, "There's just some family stuff going on-"

"It's _always_ family stuff!" She cut across him, favouring him with an irritated glare, "But, you know, I'm not privileged enough to know _what_ the hell is going on." They'd stopped now, Reid opened his mouth to reply but Kate shook her head, "Save it, Reid."

With that she turned and stalked off across the parking lot, catching up to a friend and asking for a ride. Reid and Tyler stared after her.

"What the hell was _that_ about?"

The blond shrugged, "Trouble in paradise? Beats me." But Reid frowned at the feeling that settled in the pit of his stomach; the sort of feeling that made him want to rush to Pogue's defence and tell Kate to back off. He shook it off and continued walking, eyes trailing over Tyler in front of him.

"Looks like it's just you and me then."

Something in Reid's tone made him shiver and he turned slowly, catching the long hot look that Reid was giving him. He shook his head, amused, ignoring the blond as he carried on towards the Hummer. "Horny bastard," He muttered. He heard a soft snort and footsteps behind him as his boyfriend followed him.

Tyler stopped by the car and expected Reid to unlock it, but nothing happened. He frowned and looked over his shoulder, eyebrow raised in question, but Reid just stood there with the keys in his hand. Confused, he took a breath in to speak, but before he could even utter a single word, two hands gripped his jacket and flipped him around, back hitting the bodywork with a dull thump. His surprised yelp was muffled by Reid's tongue as it quickly invaded his mouth, lips clinging and stroking wetly. Adrenaline coursed around his body at the shock and Tyler frowned quickly and punched Reid in the arm before letting himself melt into the kiss. Cold hands settled on the blond's biceps and Reid slipped a knee between his thighs in return, pressing their bodies even closer. Tyler groaned and rocked down into the pressure automatically, feeling his cock twitch and take immediate interest in current events.

Music drifted out on the evening air and a frisson of panic shot through him. They were still outside Nicky's; they'd be screwed if anyone found them like this. A small noise echoed in his throat and he pushed at Reid's arms, tearing their mouths apart.

"Knock it off, Reid," he said, his breath coming out in puffs of white as he panted. The blond resisted and nipped along his jaw towards his neck, showing no signs that he even heard him. Tyler shivered and pushed at him again, but not as hard as he should have done. "Reid, come _on_. We're outside Nicky's."

"So?" Reid murmured, setting his mouth over his pulse point and sucking gently. The dark haired teen groaned, eyes fluttering for a minute as the pleasurable sensations fired through his body. Reid _loved_ flaunting all of his weak spots.

"People can see..."

The mouth at his neck never stopped its task of tasting every inch of skin as he was quickly dragged to the back of the car. The full length of Reid's body pinned him to the Hummer and Tyler found it hard to resist him.

"Now they can't," he murmured, lifting his head and fixing him with a smug look. Tyler just stared at him, hands gripping his arms, but not pushing him away anymore. "Trust me, baby, it'll be fun."

'Fun' wasn't exactly the word that came to mind when he thought of being caught dry-humping against his car, but before he could voice his concerns, Reid smirked and leaned forward to try and 'convince' him again. This time, the kiss was slow and deep and thorough, and Tyler's resolve crumbled almost immediately. With a low groan, his eyes closed and his arms came up to wrap around Reid's neck and shoulders.

Nimble fingers trailed down his body and found their way under his shirts. He flinched and hissed when cold skin met warm and Tyler took the moment to breathe as much as he could, leaning his head back on the car while Reid amused himself with his neck and collar.

"Dammit, why do I let you do this to me?" The younger boy breathed, hips hitching and rubbing against Reid's as his fingers wandered along his torso. A low chuckle followed by a smirk was Tyler's answer; _'you let me do this because you want it'_. A thumb gently rubbed over his left nipple and Tyler groaned, his hands tightening on Reid's hoodie.

"It's the thrill of it, Ty," Reid murmured into his ear, voice low and husky. Hands wandered south this time, trailing over firm abs, stroking over the line of fine hair that lead the way further down. "We could be caught any moment, you know? That's the whole point. It makes everything so much sweeter."

The button on his jeans was popped and the zip pulled down steadily, and Tyler couldn't muster up enough strength to stop him. Reid had a talent for getting him hot fast, and dammit, a part of him wanted this. A hidden, secret part of him wanted to take a walk on the wild side, to laugh in the face of danger and let his boyfriend jack him out in the open where anyone could walk by and see them.

He sucked in a sudden breath between his teeth as a cool, dry palm slid along his shaft. Reid had pulled back a little now, sharp blue eyes taking in every detail of his face and then dropping down to watch his hand pump him.

"Fuck, Ty, you got no idea what you do to me," he breathed. The hand changed grip and started again, stroking from head to base and back again. Teeth found his bottom lip and bit down firmly to keep himself from moaning out loud, "To watch you fall apart for me. God, so friggin' _hot_."

His breathing quickened, chest heaving and nostrils flared as the pleasure built inside of him. One of Tyler's hands stayed buried in blond hair at the back of Reid's head while the other curled above his own, reaching up to grab the top of the car. Fingers curled around the curve of cold, smooth metal, trying to find something - _anything_ \- to keep him grounded. A thumb swept the head of his cock and Tyler couldn't stop himself from moaning out loud, shivering under the heat of Reid's gaze and the frigid cold of the car at his back.

Music once again broke the hushed evening, laughter following as people left the bar. A shot of panicked adrenaline rushed through him; _please don't find us, please don't find us, please don't find us_. The sound of talking, boots clicking on the asphalt, but Reid's hand didn't falter or stop. If anything, his pace picked up, using the steady stream of pre-come as lubricant to help with the friction.

"See what I mean?" Reid's mouth returned to his ear, hot breath shivering over his skin. "Feels fucking insane, doesn't it?"

He dug his fingers into the back of Reid's neck and whined low in his throat. It was too late for quiet or still now, he wanted to come. Badly. Tyler rocked up into each movement, not caring if they weren't in time any more. He turned his face into Reid's and panted hot and wet against his cheek; embarrassing, needy sounds escaping him as he strove for completion.

"C'mon, Baby Boy, c'mon," Reid panted, rutting against him. "Wanna see you come for me, Ty. Wanna feel it when you give it to me. C'mon."

" _Reid!_ " Everything tightened; each muscle in his body tensed and pulled until he was as taut as a bow string, and then he had no choice but to obey Reid's orders. His fingers scrabbled at the car while his hips jerked, white streaks of come hitting Reid's shirt and coating the hand that stroked him through the orgasm without stopping once.

And then the strangest thing happened. Power zapped along his spine like electricity, forcing Tyler to cry out in pleasure and pain. His whole body felt like it was on fire, every feeling heightened until he thought he couldn't take it anymore. Hands slammed against the car, not caring if anyone heard or found them now as he rode out his second orgasm in as many minutes.

"Holy _shit_!"

Tyler didn't respond to Reid's shocked exclamation. His knees felt weak and his body trembled through the aftershocks. It was all he could do to keep himself standing, although he had a feeling that was more to do with the car and Reid than his own will. Dry lips kissed over his jaw and his cheek, soothing him through his daze.

"Shit, Ty, what the hell was that?"

The other boy swallowed and opened his mouth to speak. It took him three tries before he found his voice again. "T-that wasn't you?"

"Hell no," was the surprised answer, "But fuck. That was some good shit."

Tyler giggled; something he only ever did if he was truly out of it. The shivers were uncontrollable and Reid must have noticed this because he kissed him again, quickly, and rubbed over his arms to try and get him warm.

"C'mon," He said, finally pulling away and making a face at the state of their clothes, "We can go now."

"I don't think I can walk," Tyler replied seriously. Reid just flashed him a wide grin.

"Told you I was amazing." He managed to roll his eyes in exasperation at the blond as he heaved himself off the Hummer.

He didn't think about it again until they were both in the car and half way back to the dorms. Now he wasn't totally spaced, Tyler pressed his forehead against the cold window and looked up at the night sky as he mulled things over. It was strange; he'd never felt the Power do that before. But as much as it felt strange to him, it also felt familiar. Familiar like....

Tyler froze.

He'd felt that before; a hundred times in the past few weeks.

Caleb.

\--------

His heart pounded wildly in his chest, whole body throbbing with adrenaline and lust. His fingers tightened around the wheel, knuckles turning white from the pressure as he tried to keep his mind away from what he'd just witnessed. _Think about Sarah. Think about Angelina Jolie for Christ's sake; anyone!_

But no matter what he told himself, he couldn't stop replaying that moment in his mind. He'd had a change of heart and decided to meet them at Nicky's, but as soon as he caught sight of them rutting against the back of the car, he knew that he'd made the wrong decision. He saw the way Reid's hand moved in Tyler's pants, the way the youngest's hips hitched into each stroke with an ease that couldn't be faked. Dark eyes took in the way their chests rose and fell with each laboured breath, almost in perfect sync, and God, how he ached to be between them in that brief second of time. To feel their breath on his skin, to stroke fingertips down Tyler's arched neck as his adam's apple bobbed with each deep gulp, to watch him come undone.

Then with a cry of Reid's name, he'd tensed and given the blond exactly what he had wanted. Caleb couldn't take his eyes away from Tyler as his body strained against his best friend's, eyes squeezed tightly shut and hips bucking under Reid's hand. Power shivered to life inside him and Caleb barely kept himself from moaning out loud as Tyler gave another hoarse shout and trembled through a second orgasm.

His teeth clenched and he groaned in the back of his throat when the memories forced his temperature higher. He'd quickly backed off and got as far away from them as he could, but no matter how much distance he put between himself and the local bar, he'd never be able to get rid of those images that had burned his brain and set fire to his blood. He pressed the heel of his hand against his groin. An almost wounded groan fell from his lips, his eyes rolling back for a brief second. He shouldn't. He should just drive home, right now, and go to bed and forget today ever happened.

But even as his mind told him to get back on the road, his fingers were already unfastening his pants.

God help him if this was going to get worse.

\--------

Pogue stood from the front porch as the silver Mustang rolled up the drive. He'd been stewing in his anger for the past hour while he waited for the other boy to return. This whole thing was getting ridiculous. Something was going on with Caleb and it was time he told them what was going on.

"You're late," he said as soon as Caleb got out. He tried to keep his voice even, but it came out in an accusing growl. Keen eyesight caught Caleb's shoulders lifting and falling in a sigh.

"I didn't think anyone would be waiting for me." Caleb answered, voice tired and worn. Maybe he would have backed down if he hadn't have been so pissed off, but as it was nothing was going to stop him getting this off his chest.

"Yeah, well I was."

The car bleeped as Caleb hit the remote on his keys and he turned away, heading towards the house. "Please, Pogue," He replied, "Not now." The older boy didn't even look him as he passed, which riled him even more.

Quick reflexes had him reaching out, hand curling around his strong bicep and yanking back. "Yeah, _now_."

Even quicker reflexes had Pogue stumbling back as Caleb pushed him off. Even in the dark, he could see Caleb's eyes blazing at him, full of anger and...

...was that _shame_?

"Not. Now." Caleb repeated through clenched teeth. Unreasonable anger shot through him like fire and Pogue growled and stepped up to him again.

"Why not, Caleb?" He spat out, "Shit, this is fucking insane. I'm sick of dealing with your random mood swings. Tell me what's going on!"

"I _can't_ ," Caleb hissed, stepping away from Pogue and hoping that the other boy wouldn't follow.

He did, "No, you _won't_. You _won't_ tell us." Pogue growled and shook his head, eyes spitting sparks at him. "You're a stubborn bastard, you know that? What, you think we're too dumb to understand? Is that why you won't tell us?"

Caleb made a frustrated sound and shook his head, "No, ok, no. I just..." He put a hand to his head, a dull ache pounding through his skull, "I just can't, Pogue, so please just drop it."

"Not until you tell me what's going on."

Caleb threw his hands up and turned. If Pogue wasn't going to listen, well, neither was he. He just wanted to fall into bed and forget everything that happened today. He didn't have the energy for Pogue's anger right now.

Before he could even get to the porch steps, a hand grabbed his arm again and swung him around. Caleb instinctively reached for the Power, his eyes blazing with black fire as he Used to push Pogue away. But instead of just moving him back a little, like it would have done a few weeks ago, Pogue's body sprawled out on floor, skidding through the gravel on the drive. Caleb swallowed, shock and surprise setting in quickly; he still hadn't got used to the amount of Power he possessed. Caleb forced himself to calm down, his eyes returning to their original colour as he watched Pogue haul himself up and glare at him. He flinched in the face of his anger, but once again turned towards the house.

"Drop it, Pogue."

This time he managed to get to the door without any other interruptions. Leaving his best friend to cool off on the drive, he swiftly opened the door and entered the house. Once closed, he leaned back against it as his emotional exhaustion washed over him, using the sturdy wood to support him. How much more of this was he going to have to take?

The hairs on his arms stood up and he glanced towards the bottom of the stairs, already knowing she was standing there. She stared at him solemnly, wrapped in a long silk dressing gown and one perfect eyebrow raised ever so slightly over dark eyes. Caleb heaved a sigh and pushed off the door.

"Don't," He pleaded softly. He didn't need a lecture from his mother too.

But she didn't say anything. Evelyn watched her son sadly as he brushed past her and headed up the stairs. The soft thump of his bedroom door closing sounded final in the silent house.


	7. Chapter 7

The tension between them was palpable. Neither of them would look or talk to each other and as soon as Pogue took his seat at their usual lunch table Caleb gathered his stuff and stood, murmuring a short 'see ya later'. Pogue snorted and sank back into his seat, but he was far from relaxed.

"Running away again, Caleb?"

The older boy froze for a few seconds before continuing on his way out the cafeteria. Tyler and Reid glanced to each other. This was worse than they thought. Opposite them, the long haired teen blew out a long breath and sat forward again, looking troubled and hurt for a brief second before blanking his face.

"What's going on with you two?"

Pogue shook his head and snagged a fry from his plate to stuff in his mouth, "We had a fight."

"Hello Captain Obvious," Tyler snorted, eyebrow raised, "Do I have to ask what over or am I allowed to guess?" Pogue gave him a 'duh' look and Tyler nodded, "Yeah, thought so. What happened?"

He shrugged, "I wanted to know what was going on with him, so I asked him. _Again_." He made a face and picked up a few more fries, "His answer was to throw me across the driveway."

"Fuck," Reid muttered, shaking his head and feeling a little bitter, "That's his answer to everything."

"That was different," Tyler said, "You were baiting him." He sighed, "C'mon you guys, he's obviously not in a good place right now, fighting with him isn't going to get us anywhere. We need to help him." Both his boyfriend and his best friend stared at him and Tyler squirmed under their combined gaze. "What?"

"When he stops being a stubborn bastard and pulls his head from his ass to tell us what's up, then I'll be the first to try and help, but until then he can go screw himself," Pogue said firmly, picking up his burger and taking a bite. The youngest just sighed and shook his head, stabbing at his own lunch half-heartedly.

"All I'm saying is that whatever is bugging Caleb must be big to have him flip out like that. We're his family, guys, we have to stick by him." He glanced up at Pogue, "Not fight with him."

The long haired boy snorted, "Fine, if you wanna try and get through to him, be my guest. Just don't come crying to me when he bites your head off too."

"Or throws you into a wall," Reid added with a smirk.

Tyler flipped them off and went back to his lunch, but he was already thinking about trying Caleb again. They hardly spent any time with him anymore and Tyler actually missed him. Whatever was going on with him, he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

\--------

This was getting ridiculous. The time he could spend around his own friends was getting shorter and shorter. Now it was down to less than 30 minutes; then the never-ending itch started under his skin and his hormones started going crazy. He probably could have handled lunch as long as he'd just eaten and then told them he needed to get some work done at the library, but as soon as Pogue had arrived at the table, Caleb knew he needed to get as far away as possible as fast as he could. His friend's anger was tangible; it hit him like a brick wall and almost succeeded in taking his breath away.

It also made him incredibly hard in record time.

Caleb threw his car into gear and retreated towards the safety of home, willing his body to co-operate and calm down. Not that it would listen. It never did.

Every day was getting harder and Caleb was finding it difficult to keep up the bullshit. They knew something was up with him and were frustrated at his lack of honesty, but Caleb couldn't. He couldn't tell them. He didn't want to see the disgust on their faces when he came out with it, when he told them that he was insanely horny and needed to screw one of them. Or all of them.

He wasn't quite sure how it worked yet.

His mom wasn't home. He noticed her car was missing from the garage as he skidded to a stop in front of the house. Caleb had never felt so relieved at her absence as he did now. He got out of his car and made his way towards the house, getting in and closing the door behind him as quick as he could. Then he took the stairs two at a time until he got to his room.

Caleb leaned back against the door and took a few deep breaths. He couldn't do this anymore. He couldn't let himself sink to jacking off to thoughts of his best friends. He shouldn't be fantasizing about touching them or wondering what they'd look like as he fucked them. It was wrong and absurd.

But just like in the car the night before, he couldn't stop himself from sliding his hand down his pants to try and alleviate the pressure. A pained hiss escaped between his clenched teeth as skin touched skin, fingers wrapping around the swollen shaft firmly. His other hand reached out and gripped the door handle for balance as he started jerking himself off, keeping his movements steady.

His traitorous mind supplied him with a multitude of scenes and scenarios involving each of his friends. Imaginary Pogue was bent over the kitchen counter, fingers holding on tight to the opposite side as Caleb pounded into him over and over again. He could already hear the grunts and the harsh encouragements as he took him hard and fast, see his damp hair falling to the surface of the counter, feel his hand reaching back to urge him deeper, harder, faster. Caleb gasped and let his head fall back to thump against the wood. Tyler would be on his knees, sucking him down like his life depended on it. Caleb could feel the hot, slick squeeze around his cock as the youngest worked his throat muscles against him, eyes twinkling up at him in playful desire while his hands pinned his hips to the wall to keep him from moving. And Reid... Reid would be on his back while Caleb fucked him face to face, staring down at devilish blue eyes and watching his cherry red mouth move as he told Caleb just how good he felt inside him, how long he'd waited for him to get a clue, how he wanted Caleb to come so deep inside him that he could taste it on his tongue.

A loud moan echoed around the room, hand pumping furiously as the images seared through his mind. He wanted them all so badly it hurt. He wanted to taste and touch and fuck and claim them all to be his and his alone. The Power coursed through his body like lightning, shattering his nerves and his control.

His orgasm hit him like never before; slamming into him like a truck. Caleb's body shook violently, the door handle cutting into his skin with the force of his grip, hips bucking wildly as he shot his load over his hand and his school pants. Feeling dizzy and weak, he slid down to the floor, falling to his hands and knees while he jerked through the last of the aftershocks. He panted and shuddered, eyes falling closed as he tried to get his breathing back to normal. Once he was cleaned up and calmed down, he could go back to school and hopefully avoid them for the rest of the afternoon.

To his dismay, the itch hadn't stopped like he thought it would. It crawled along his body like a million tiny ants marching under his skin. His cock had only half softened and it was then he knew. He dropped his head forward in defeat; jerking off wouldn't work anymore. He needed the real thing now.

He needed _them_.

Quiet chimes mingled with his slowing breaths and he groaned softly. _Go away_ , he thought to himself, _no-one's home_. Without thinking he called on the Power and tried to send these thoughts to whoever was waiting on the porch, but the response was not what he was expecting.

' _You're not gonna get rid of me that easily, Caleb, so open the goddamn door._ '

The dark haired boy sighed. Tyler. That was the last thing he needed.

He didn't have the energy to argue, so Caleb heaved himself off the floor and straightened himself up. The Power swirled as he cleaned himself down, leaving no trace of anything that could incriminate him, and he tucked himself back into his pants, hoping that his clothes would hide his semi well enough. The doorbell sounded again just as he was making his way down the stairs.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" He called out, jogging down the last few steps to get to the door. Sure enough, Tyler was waiting on the other side when he opened it.

"We're worried about you."

Caleb sighed at Tyler's opening words. He couldn't do this again. "I'm fine."

"Uh-huh, you keep telling yourself that, Caleb." The door opened wider as the youngest pushed passed him. He gave a frustrated sigh and shut it again, following the youngest into the kitchen.

"I've told you a million times now, I'm-"

"-fine, yes, we know." The youngest didn't look at him as he raided the refrigerator for something to eat. "You keep saying that, Cay, but you're not. We _know_ you're not."

He collapsed into a high stool at the breakfast bar and ran his hands over his face. God, he didn't want this conversation. He didn't want Tyler here _at all_ , and that feeling hurt him the most. The itch, the craving; it was still there, and at the moment he was able to keep it at bay.

But for how long?

Caleb heard Tyler take the chair opposite him and then pop the top on a soda can. He looked up to find the younger boy watching him carefully. Heat shot through him and he squirmed a little in his seat. _God, not now._

"What do you want me to say, Ty? That I'm not ok?"

"Yes!" He exclaimed, "Yes, that's exactly what we want you to say."

Caleb shook his head, "It wouldn't accomplish anything."

"And lying to us does?" He shook his head, eyes sad and worried, "We just want the truth, man. We just wanna help you."

Caleb shook his head and went quiet for a few minutes. He could tell that Tyler wasn't going to give up without a fight, without pushing him to his limit, and somehow that thought made him even hotter for the boy opposite him. He was determined; he wasn't going to stop until he got an answer out of Caleb.

He had a bad feeling about this.

"The truth is..." _The truth is I want you. I **want** you. All three of you, anyway I can have you; in bed, bent over the sofa, against the wall, in the locker room after practice, on your knees, spread for me. I want you and there's nothing I can do to stop it._ "The truth is... you're right. I'm not ok."

"Finally, a breakthrough!" Caleb's lips turned up slightly at the relieved tone. Tyler smiled back at him imploringly, and Caleb knew what was coming next. "What's going on, Cay?"

Dark eyes dropped to the tiled surface under his hands. "I... I can't tell you."

Tyler let out a frustrated noise, "What is this? One step forward and two steps back?"

He couldn't do this again. He felt the younger boy's emotions like they were his own, attacking his system, making him ache and want. Shaking his head, Caleb slid from the stool and headed towards the den, hands linking behind his neck to try and soothe the tension bleeding into his muscles. There was a soft curse behind him and the scrape of the stool against the floor as Tyler followed him.

"But why?" He asked, clearly getting agitated. Caleb kept his back to him, trying his hardest to keep himself in check. "Why can't you tell us the truth?"

"Trust me, Ty," He said, giving a strained, bitter little laugh, "You wouldn't want to know."

"You're so fucking stubborn!" Tyler hissed and Caleb had to bite his lip to keep himself from letting loose the whimper that threatened to spill from his mouth. The other boy's irritation only made him harder, his cock now fully erect again and begging for attention. "I wouldn't be asking if I - if _we_ \- didn't want to know. I mean, shit, I'm not stupid. I know that whatever it is, it involves us. I've..." He seemed to hesitate, "I've seen you looking. At us, I mean. And last night you were at Nicky's when me and Reid... I know you saw that."

Caleb tensed. _Fuck_.

"Is that it?" Tyler's voice was closer now, softer. He could feel the heat from his body as he neared and Caleb had to force himself not to reach out and grab him when he finally stopped in front of him. "I-is that it? You like one of us?"

He snorted and shook his head. "No," he answered a little shakily. _Not one; all three of you._

"Then what the hell is going on?" Caleb couldn't stop himself from looking up into compassionate blue eyes, his stomach twisting in need. "Dude, we're your best friends; your _family_. Whatever it is, we'll help you."

And then Tyler made his mistake. The youngest reached out and placed his hand on Caleb's shoulder, a gesture that was meant to comfort and soothe him. In Caleb's heightened state of need, it had the opposite effect. Even through the layers of cloth, it burned into his skin like a brand, setting his blood alight in a matter of seconds. Before Tyler could even blink, Caleb had rounded on him and slammed him straight into the nearest wall so hard that the pictures rattled. A quiet 'oomphf' followed the action, but Caleb was too far gone to care if he actually hurt Tyler or not. He caught a glimpse of surprised, confused eyes before Caleb plunged his tongue into his open mouth.

The kiss was fast and furious, dominated by Caleb's desire and overwhelming need to satisfy his hunger. His body pinned Tyler's to the wall, a thigh firmly between his knees and hips pressed tight against hips. Hands wandered restlessly, mindless in their task of touching, feeling, trying to find bare skin under the layers of cloth. His cock strained against his pants and Caleb moaned when Tyler moved under him, giving him the friction he so desperately needed.

And Tyler was responding to him. Tongues battled equally, sliding as mouths fused together passionately. His hands clutched at Caleb's shoulders, fisting in the cotton of his white school shirt and creasing it as he tried to pull Caleb even closer. The youngest rolled his hips, gasping little moans echoing wetly between them as Caleb's hands grabbed his ass and lined them up as much as he could before rutting against him, into the wall, feeling the answering hardness press against his own. The heady scent of sex and Power infused his senses and made him blind to everything other than the heat and friction of Tyler's body against his own.

Before either of them could stop themselves, they came hard and fast, orgasms hitting one after another. Tyler tore his mouth away from Caleb's, throwing his head back to thump hard against the wall, eyes squeezed shut as he cried out the older boy's name. His body trembled, hips bucking uncontrollably until he gave everything he had. Caleb followed a few seconds later, fingers biting viciously into the meat of Tyler's ass. With his forehead pressed against the youngest's shoulder, Caleb rocked them through their orgasms, breathless pants and hitching moans the only sounds in the room.

The full weight of what they'd done didn't hit him until he pulled his head back a few moments later to see Tyler's scared, betrayed face staring back at him. It was as effective as having a bucket of ice water dumped on his head. Caleb felt sick; oh god, how _could_ he? Shock had him stumbling back, his own face a picture of horror as he released Tyler.

"Oh god," He breathed, "Ty.... Ty, that... I didn't mean.... I'm so sorry."

But Tyler wasn't listening. Without another word he pushed himself off the wall and walked out of the room. Caleb couldn't move to stop him; he was frozen to the spot by his own disgust and horror. A few seconds later the front door slammed, signalling Tyler's exit.

Then silence. Caleb's stomach clenched and before he knew it, he was running for the kitchen sink, one thought going round and round in his head.

_Oh god, what have I done?_

\--------

"Ty, did ya hear what I said?"

The dark haired teen started as Reid's voice penetrated the dazed fog in his mind. He looked up from the text book on the desk with surprise, eyes quickly locating and fixing on his boyfriend. The blond stared back, one eyebrow arched above a clear blue eye, waiting for Tyler's answer.

"Um... something about Nicky's?" He guessed.

Reid rolled his eyes, "I said me and Pogue are meeting up with some of the guys from class and we're gonna go ride into Gloucester."

"Oh." His boyfriend frowned at him and he squirmed under his gaze, already feeling the guilt settle heavily in the pit of his stomach, "What?"

"Are you ok, baby?" He walked forward and ran his fingers through Tyler's hair gently, the troubled frown puckering his forehead. Tyler felt queasy at the loving touch. "You've been spacing since this afternoon."

The younger boy inwardly winced, not realizing he'd been so transparent. He swallowed and forced himself to smile at Reid, turning his head into the gentle hand. This afternoon had been a disaster.

"I'm fine, I promise," He lied, trying to keep his voice relaxed, "Just been thinking about stuff; you know, school and exams."

Thankfully the blond seemed to swallow his excuse. He snorted and eyed him up, "Like you even need to worry about any of it, baby boy. Besides, the exams are _months_ away, why are you thinking about them _now_?"

Tyler shrugged, unable to answer. Reid just laughed and ruffled his hair, which automatically had Tyler frowning and trying to bat his hands away. Reid just laughed more.

"You gonna join us?" He asked, finally easing up on his teasing. Tyler ran his fingers through his hair to tug out the mess that Reid had created. He shook his head.

"Nah, I think I'll stay here. I got some stuff to do anyway."

Reid shrugged, "Eh, suit yourself. I'll be back later." He leaned down and kissed him square on the mouth and Tyler had to force himself to respond normally to the contact. "Don't wait up."

As soon as the door closed behind him, Tyler collapsed back into his chair, feeling helpless and tired. He blew out his breath and ran his hands over his face. He was so screwed; so utterly utterly screwed. In the space of a few minutes, his life had been turned upside down and everything he thought he knew had gone out the window. He'd done the one thing he swore he would never do to anyone.

He'd cheated on his boyfriend.

Even worse, he'd cheated on his boyfriend with one of their best friends.

This afternoon he'd gone into Caleb's house knowing two basic facts: Reid was his boyfriend and he loved him, and Caleb was his best friend. They sat on different sides of a line.

When he'd walked out, that line was no longer there. It was so blurred and distorted that Tyler couldn't tell who was supposed to be on which side.

Worse still, he'd _enjoyed_ it. He'd enjoyed the command and the dominance and the need that Caleb displayed as he slammed him into the wall. He'd enjoyed feeling his hard body pressed against his own, so different from Reid's and yet similar in many ways; loved the large hands that gripped him tight and pulled him closer as they rubbed off on each other like their lives depended on it. The taste of desperation and hunger still lingered on his tongue, mixing with the barely there trace of Caleb himself. He'd come in his pants so hard and so fast that his head spun, leaving him dizzy and disorientated and confused. It was over in a matter of minutes, but that was all it took to bring Tyler's world crashing down on him.

Since the moment he'd realized what he'd done, he'd carried the guilt around with him. Every time he saw Reid it was like a punch to the gut. He was _happy_ with Reid. He _loved_ Reid, and yet still he cheated on him with his best friend. It was like the ultimate betrayal. It made him sick.

At least now he knew what was up with Caleb. Obviously the older boy had been crushing on him for a while, but now he knew that Tyler and Reid were together, he got jealous. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell the others because then they'd want to know how he found out, and he didn't really think the truthful answer would go down well with anyone.

No, nobody could know. He couldn't hurt Reid like that, he'd never forgive him for it. Tyler snorted softly to himself; it was funny, really. Out of the two of them, he always thought Reid would be the one to play away.

_Shit, what am I going to do?_


	8. Chapter 8

The smell of bacon hovered at the edges of his senses and Caleb took a deep breath in, taking in the mouth-watering smell, and then let it out slowly. He rolled onto his back and brought his hands up to rub the sleep away from his eyes. Yet another restless night, plagued with dreams of hot, steamy sex and toe-curling orgasms. Caleb had taken to soundproofing his room, and it was a good job too; he'd very nearly screamed twice during the night with the intensity of his dreams. He heaved a tired sigh; how much more of this could he take?

Grabbing a pair of sweats from the floor, he made his way downstairs and followed the smell to the kitchen, but he stopped short when he reached the doorway. His mom stood at the stove, dressed in black slacks and a white blouse, frying bacon in the pan. A sense of nostalgia overwhelmed him and Caleb had to blink a couple of times to rid himself of the tears that gathered in his eyes. It had been a _really_ long time since his mother had been up to cook breakfast on a Saturday morning. Usually she was passed out in the drawing room or up in her room if she'd managed to get there, drunk and alone and wallowing in her own self pity.

As if she'd felt him staring, Evelyn Danvers turned from the stove and graced him with a small smile. "Good morning."

Instead of answering, Caleb walked up to her and wrapped her in his large arms. He felt choked with sudden emotion and he tried to swallow to keep himself from breaking down, but it was hard. Warm hands patted and rubbed his back soothingly, returning the embrace after a second of shocked hesitation.

"I've missed you," Caleb said, voice thin and quiet as he tried to keep his emotions in check. Evelyn leaned out of the hug and placed a loving hand on his cheek, thumb stroking over his skin gently.

"I know, baby," she replied, her own eyes shiny with unshed tears, "I know."

Caleb cleared his throat and gave her a tremulous smile, which she returned before she reached over to turn off the stove. Caleb backed off a little and took a seat at the breakfast bar, swiping at the wetness around his eyes and just watching his mother as she moved around the kitchen, finding a plate and some bread to make him a sandwich. It was just like when he was a kid, before his dad succumbed to the Power, before his mom turned to the drink to numb the pain and the heartache of losing him like she did. A sadness settled over him; he wasn't a kid anymore and people didn't just change overnight.

"What's changed?"

She looked uncomfortable at the sudden question, but then she sighed and turned to the breakfast bar, placing the sandwich in front of him. She took the seat opposite and set both hands on the table, looking down at the painted nails and the weathered skin.

"Everything."

A tired sigh escaped him and he leaned both elbows on the surface, one hand running over his face. His sudden emotional outburst had settled down to give him a clear dose of reality. "Mom, you can't just act like the last five years never happened."

"I'm not," She replied, lifting her eyes to his. Irritation niggled at Caleb.

"So what's all this?" He asked, using his other hand to motion to the sandwich and the stove. "I can't even remember the last time you were sober enough to be awake this early in the morning, much less cook breakfast."

Evelyn's eyes sharpened in warning, "Caleb-"

"No, mom, it's true," He shook his head and met her gaze head on. "I've looked after you since I was fourteen. I was the one that put you to bed when you had too much to drink. I was the one that had to wake you and dress you when you couldn't do it yourself. I was the one that had to make excuses for you when you couldn't make PTA meetings because you were too drunk. Making breakfast for me isn't going to make that better."

She reached over and caught his free hand with both her own, her eyes full of regret and guilt. "I know," she said, sounding choked with her own emotions, "I know it doesn't, but I'm trying, Caleb."

"Are you?"

Evelyn nodded, "I'm not going to excuse what I did and how I've behaved. I took the easy way out and I'm so sorry you had to sacrifice your own happiness for me." A tic started in Caleb's jaw, but he didn't interrupt. She sighed softly, "I loved your father, very much, and when I had you I thought that I'd stay happy forever. But when he became addicted to the Power, my world fell apart. My husband wasn't my husband anymore and I couldn't cope with that, so I drowned myself in my own sorrow."

"That still doesn't explain this," he said quietly, staring down at their hands.

"I will always love William, but a part of me will never be able to forgive him for what he put us through. The first burial was like rubbing salt into the wound; to the rest of the world he was dead but to me he was still alive, and as long as he was still here, I couldn't stop myself from feeling the pain of what he'd done. I couldn't let go of him until he was truly gone." She gave him a sad smile, "It sounds callous, but now he's moved on; it's about time I did too." Caleb didn't speak. "I know it's not going to be easy. I've got a problem and it's not going to be resolved overnight, but I'm working on it."

He finally lifted his eyes to hers, "Why? Why now?"

His mother's smile turned gentle, "Because when you have a child, you are expected to take care of them and love them even through your darkest days. Instead it was _you_ who had to take care of _me_ , and I was selfish enough to let it happen. I want to make up for that, Caleb, I want to be a mother to you again. If you'll let me."

Caleb didn't say anything. A part of him wanted to scream at her and tell her that he'd been hurting too, but he knew that it wouldn't achieve anything. She was right; it wasn't going to be easy. There was a lot of pain and resentment between them that wasn't just going to go away. As much as he loved her, there were times when he'd hated her guts too.

"You're my mother and I love you," he said slowly, eyes back to focusing on his their hands. "But I... I need time. You hurt me too and it's going to take a lot more than breakfast and a heart-to-heart to make it right." He paused and turned his palm over, curling his fingers around her hand, "But it's a start."

She squeezed her son's hand gently, emotion clouding her voice again, "Let's just take it one step at a time, ok?"

He nodded. Hope stirred inside of him. It was going to be a long and hard road, but maybe now was the time to start healing that rift. He'd already lost one parent, he didn't want to lose the other too.

\--------

It was weird to be out on a Saturday and not have any contact with his best friends. It was nearly eleven o'clock in the morning, Pogue was usually just getting up and calling him on his cell to see what he was doing. Caleb glanced down to his cell phone automatically; it sat silently in the holder between the car seats, not even a flicker from the screen to let him know he had a message. His shook his head slightly and he moved his eyes back to the road, fingers tightening a fraction on the wheel as he navigated through familiar back roads. He hadn't seen them in over a week now. All attempts to contact him had been ignored and he'd skipped out of the classes he had with them.

On one hand, he knew that he couldn't see them. Not while he was in this state. There was no telling what he'd do if he got too close to them. On the other, he missed them so much it physically _hurt_. It was almost like he'd lost a limb.

He took the next right turn out of habit and then cursed under his breath when he realized where he was heading. The car slowed as the dirt track widened out and then came to a stop by the crooked fence that surrounded the old property. Caleb killed the engine and leaned back into his seat, staring up at the Colony house. It was an integral part of Ipswich's history and had been in Caleb's family since the late eighteen-hundreds. It had also been his father's home for the last five years, knowing that no-one would accidentally find him there. Especially not with Gorman keeping watch.

Caleb's eyes caught the slight twitching of a curtain and his lips quirked. Gorman knew he was here. With an amused shake of his head, he got out of the car and headed towards the house. The door opened slowly as he made his way up the path and Gorman greeted him at the door with a brusque nod. The teenager stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jacket as he entered the dark house, feeling the oppressive atmosphere as soon as he stepped over the threshold.

But that wasn't the only thing he felt. A shiver of _something_ passed over his soul and Caleb immediately turned to the left, eyes falling on the old wooden door hidden in the corner. Nobody would even know it was there unless someone pointed it out. Nobody but the four Son's anyway.

The door to the Vaults.

The book said the Vaults had been built when the the house had, using it as cover for their magical heritage, and while family members had been born and died in this house, the Vaults had been the only place in existence that was safe. He stared, unable to look away and not knowing why. A distant, low beat teased his hearing and he frowned, feeling a sudden pull all the way down in his soul. He started towards it.

"Caleb."

The teenager stopped and blinked, foot falling back to the floor without actually taking a step. The beat was gone, as was the strange pull he felt towards the old door. He frowned at himself and turned to Gorman, who looked at him strangely from the hallway. Caleb shook the thoughts from his head, "Hey Gorman," he said, trying to get back on even footing, "You ok?"

The older man nodded in return and lead Caleb through to the kitchen where he was making tea. The teenager took a seat at the small, round table in the corner and waited for the other man to finish up with his routine. Gorman was as much a mystery as the origins of the Power; he'd been a friend of the family ever since he could remember and Caleb had always taken it at face value, never questioning why or how. He was just... there; he knew about the Power and he cared for his father when he got worse.

One day, he was going to find out what his deal was.

A large cup was placed on the table in front of him and Caleb smiled, letting the smell of sweet, fresh tea drift under his nose. He nodded in thanks to the older man as he took the seat opposite him, and picked up his cup to sip at the steaming hot liquid.

"What brings you here, lad?" The old, rough voice was quiet and calm and some part of Caleb was instantly soothed at the sound.

He shrugged and set his cup down again, "Nothing, I just... I'm just used to taking that turning, I guess." Gorman stared at him hard, dark eyes boring holes into him. Caleb squirmed under the gaze; he couldn't fool Gorman for a second, no matter how hard he tried. "I don't know," he answered more truthfully.

"You've not been sleeping." It was a statement rather than a question. A flush crept up along his neck and Caleb busied himself with taking another sip of tea to avoid meeting his eyes. He heard Gorman snort and then drink his own tea. "Hiding from them isn't going to solve the problem, Caleb."

Eyes widened and Caleb choked. Gorman handed him some tissues and regarded him from across the table, the slight quirk of his lips clearly showing his amusement.

"Jesus, Gorman," he said between coughs and splutters. Sometimes the old coot was too intuitive for his own good.

"I watched your father go through the same thing."

Caleb had calmed enough so that he could breathe without coughing and he rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Can we not talk about this right now?" He stood from the kitchen table, leaving his tea, and moved into the back room. He didn't want to go through this again. He'd heard the same thing from his mother.

The backroom, as he'd half expected, was filled with cardboard boxes. His father's possessions. Most of these had been boxed up for years, hidden away in the attic out of sight until the time finally came to get them all down again. Caleb came up short, looking around at what was essentially his father's life condensed to a pile of boxes, and a wave of sadness washed through him. Deep inside he knew that it wasn't anyone's fault but his father's, and yet Caleb still couldn't help feeling that it was unfair.

He sighed and moved forward to one of the closest boxes, letting his hand run over the textured cardboard. Keen hearing picked up the sound of the floorboards creaking, knowing that Gorman had followed him, but Caleb ignored it in favour of lifting the flaps and looking inside the box.

"Idiot," the old man said fondly, "You think it's just about sex?"

Caleb cringed and continued to ignore him, his attention caught by the items the box held. This one seemed to hold journals and notebooks and other miscellanea that he'd used on a daily basis. Slowly, carefully, is if they were going to break, Caleb picked up the first two items that lay in the box. Photo frames. Memories. The first picture was of himself and his mom, although he barely remembered the day it was taken. It was Christmas, judging by the glimpse of the tree at the edge of the photograph. He couldn't have been more than five years old, grin wide and full of innocence while his mom held him close and told him to smile for daddy. He got a bike that Christmas. A sad pang echoed in his chest, the child in him mourning the loss of the man who had taught him to ride it.

His eyes moved from one scene to another. The second photograph was of four young men, all smiling and holding on to each other like best friends. He'd seen this one before, sat pride of place on the mantle with the photograph of himself and his mother, but he never stayed in the room long enough to get a good look at either of the snapshots. On the surface it just looked like any group photograph; just four best friends hanging out at a party and posing for a shot. But the longer he stared, he began to realize that this wasn't _just_ friends. It was subtle; the way their arms and their hands held onto each other, their body language. That told a whole different story.

"Your father nearly destroyed them." Caleb jumped a little as Gorman's voice sounded closer than before. He'd been so focused on the pictures that he hadn't heard the other man move. "He wasn't ready for what was happening to them. He didn't trust the bond they had." He reached out and gently took the silver frame from Caleb's hand, looking down on the four of them fondly, like a parent would, pain flickering in the wizened depths. "Luckily I was able to knock some sense into him and everything worked out." The old man looked up at Caleb and pinned him with an intense stare, "I won't let you make the same mistakes."

Reaching inside the box with his other hand, Gorman carefully plucked out a brown, leather bound journal from the small stack and turned it over to Caleb. A frown creased his brow as the teenager held the book in his hands. Looking back and forth between Gorman and the book, he opened the front cover carefully, the leather cracking and creaking a little in the hushed silence. Caleb was surprised to find that sandwiched between the cover and the front page was an old, off-white envelope emblazoned with a name in black ink.

His name.

"He wanted you to have this one," Gorman said, watching his young protégé closely. "It was the journal he kept during his own teenage years. It will help you figure it out."

Caleb didn't know what to say. He stared at the envelope lying inside the book until a warm hand on his shoulder caused him to look up. Gorman's expression was uncharacteristically gentle.

"Take your time, Caleb," He said, "But don't take too long. Those boys need you just as much as you need them."

He swallowed and looked down at the part of his father's life he held in his hands, feeling the old man's words shake his very core. He needed to understand.

This was the only way.

\--------

Saturday afternoon  
Reid sighed, the sound barely carrying over the rush of water through the pipes as the toilet flushed. He dropped his head back to the pillow, eyes fixed on the ceiling while he listened to sounds coming from the bathroom attached to his room; the water from the tap, the hollow sounds of a toothbrush scrubbing over teeth and tongue, the faint gagging noises that followed. The ghost of a frown creased his brow; something was going on, that much he knew. He'd never seen Tyler like this before and he was getting worried..

The water stopped running and a minute later, Tyler gingerly emerged from the bathroom, still looking green.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on or do I gotta guess?"

The youngest glanced at Reid as he spoke, quickly taking in his position on the bed; outstretched with both arms behind his head, shirtless, with one eyebrow cocked in his direction. His jeans were still on, but un-zipped and open to expose the black boxer briefs underneath. Tyler looked away and swallowed, unable to look him in the eye. They were halfway to getting it on, both of them pulling at each other's clothes in a race to get naked, but then Tyler balked and shot to the bathroom to throw up before he could even get Reid out of his pants.

Reid sighed, exasperated, "What, the sight of me sickens you now or something?"

Tyler's head shot up, eyes round as they fixed on Reid once more, "What? No, _god_ no, never!"

The blond snorted in amusement at Tyler's quick denial and lifted himself up on his elbows, "So what's the deal?" He asked, head tilting to the side as he regarded his boyfriend, "The past week you've been jumpy, biting my head off for no reason, and now this? C'mon, Ty, what's going on?"

The brunette shook his head and reached up to scratch behind his ear, "Nothing, ok, I'm just stressed about exams and stuff."

"Bullshit," Came Reid's immediate answer to the excuse, "It was a bullshit answer the last time, and it’s still a bullshit answer now." The blond frowned and moved to sit up, crossing his legs under him and ignoring the fact that his jeans were still open. Blue eyes narrowed, "And don't say you're 'fine' either, because I've heard that word enough from Caleb to last me a fuckin' lifetime."

Tyler's stomach clenched at the mention of the older boy's name. The guilt was like a lead weight in the pit of his stomach. He was literally sick with it; with the worry that Reid was going to find out and break up with him, or even worse, hate him for his betrayal. He'd silently agonized over his actions for the past week, feeling worse as the days dragged on. Every time he looked at his boyfriend, his heart pounded and he felt sick. The thought of losing what he had with the blond was killing him.

"Ty?" He looked up, suddenly realizing that Reid had moved off the bed to stand in front of him, blue eyes swimming with concern. Tyler flinched at the look. "What's going on?"

"I... it..." His heart twisted inside his chest. _Nothing, I'm ok, really I am. I'm just being stupid, Reid, worrying about things, that's all. Stupid little things. I'll be fine, I just need to figure some stuff out._ He could have said any number of things, but Tyler knew he couldn't keep up the pretence any longer. "I kinda cheated on you," There was a pregnant pause. "With Caleb."

The hushed, pained words hung in the still air between them, making everything ten times worse. Tyler waited, preparing himself for the storm that was going to hit any second, and after what seemed like forever, he lifted his eyes from the floor to meet Reid's head on.

It was a mistake.

Reid looked like the floor had literally just dropped out from under his feet. He hadn't moved a muscle since Tyler had spoken, only his eyes gave him away; the blue orbs shimmering with a thousand different emotions. Hurt, confusion, betrayal, anger, shock. Tyler couldn't stand to look at them anymore and shifted his gaze to the wall over Reid's shoulder.

"Wh... what did you just say?"

Tyler swallowed and mumbled, "Do you really want me to say it again?"

He let out a strangled, shocked laugh, which was devoid of any kind of amusement. "I'm sorry, I swear you just told me that you cheated on me... with _Caleb_." Tyler's face heated, but he didn't answer. "The _fuck_ , Tyler?"

"I'm sorry, ok?!" He burst out, face crumbling, "I didn't mean for it to happen, it just did, and then I couldn't stop it-"

"When?" Reid asked, backing away from Tyler until there was a safe distance between them. Tyler didn't answer, " _When, goddammit!_ "

"Last week," Tyler swallowed, feeling sick all over again, "Last week. I-I didn't mean... I was just trying to get him to tell me what was wrong-"

"What, so you _fucked_ the answer out of him?"

The words stung like a slap and he forced himself to face Reid's answer, "No! God, no, I would never.... I would never do that to you! You're the only guy-"

Reid's face said that he clearly didn't believe that, "Sure, and how many times have you given it up to Caleb while you've been with me, huh? He better than me? Is that it?"

Every word was like a punch to the gut. How could he even think-? Tyler's emotions did a 180, his pain and hurt turning into anger at Reid's cruel verbal attack. He glared at the blond, meeting his outrage head on.

"I'm not a fucking whore, Garwin, don't treat me like one!" He hissed, feeling everything in him burn, "I've loved you since I was fifteen, nothing will ever change that, so don't you _dare_ accuse me of sleeping around. He kissed me, ok? He kissed me and then I was against the wall and I couldn't do a damn thing-"

Tyler knew instinctively when he made his second mistake. Blue eyes flared with white hot anger as soon as the words had fallen from his lips and all Tyler wanted to do was take the words and stuff them back into his mouth again. His stomach dropped.

"So he came onto you first? He started it?"

Tyler flailed for a moment, "Does it matter? Look, I'm sor-"

" _Just answer the fuckin' question!_ " Reid roared.

He swallowed, "Y-yes. Yeah, he... he started it-" Reid was already fastening his pants and pulling on his shirt and Tyler felt the room spin around him. He shook his head, starting towards him as the blond grabbed his jacket from the chair and his car keys from the side table. "Reid. Reid c'mon, please don't do anything stu-"

The blond turned and just as he reached the door, roughly shaking off Tyler's hand and glaring at him. Tyler flinched at the pure fury in the ice blue depths.

"Don't. Touch me," he said, voice thick with anger and hurt.

He stood frozen to the spot as he watched Reid leave the room, his rage showing in every line of his body. Tyler jumped as the door slammed shut behind him, his breath catching in his chest while his own anger drained out of him. How was he going to fix this? How was this ever going to be right again? Shaking fingers pulled his cell phone from his pocket, a panicked sound escaping him as he fumbled with the device, flipping it open and scrolling down in haste to find the one person he needed right now. His desperation increased with every ring, finding himself inching closer to hyperventilating as the dial tones continued. Then, finally, someone picked up.

"Pogue... shit, I need your help..."


	9. Chapter 9

His entire body was shaking with suppressed rage, foot all but flat on the floor as he broke the speed limit in order to get to his destination. Car horns blared as he weaved in and out of the thankfully light afternoon traffic but Reid didn't take any notice. The red mist had descended, barely holding on to the Power inside him as his seething anger took him over.

How _could_ he? _How could he!_ Reid could barely think of anything else, couldn't feel anything other than the burning betrayal that made him sick. A car pulled in front of him and he swerved dangerously, the sound of squealing tires and car horns mixing with the rapid pounding of his heart. He got through unscathed, but it was close.

If it was someone else, it wouldn't have been as bad. Oh, he'd have been angry, hurt, even heartbroken. But this? This was the ultimate betrayal. This wasn't just a random chick or some guy from school, this was their _brother_. The guy they _trusted_. It was like Caleb had stuck a knife in his heart and twisted, knowing exactly where to strike to cause maximum pain.

"You've gone too far this time," He growled into the tense air, shifting gears violently and heading towards the Danvers Estate, "Be damned if you'll get away with it."

\--------

The journal sat on the breakfast bar, lying innocently on the marble surface as it had since he'd got back from Gorman's. Caleb, who was leaning against the counter by the sink, stared at it. Or, more accurately, _through_ it.

He was at war with himself. Part of him wanted to hide the book away and never think of it again. It was full of his dad's thoughts; full of things that he'd done and events in his life that were private, that shouldn't be read by anyone. Another part of him wanted to snatch the book up and just absorb its stories. It was a part of his father than he'd never seen before, a chance to get to know him like he hadn't been able to when he was alive.

But, in truth, Caleb was scared. He was scared at what he'd find, hidden in the pages and between the lines of ink. He was scared that whatever he found would change the way he looked at things, at people, forever, and Caleb wasn't sure if he could deal with that. So many things had happened lately; Chase had sucked them in and turned on them, his father had caused his own death and his mother was an alcoholic. The only people in the world he could trust were his brothers; the three guys that meant more to him than his own life.

Only that too was fucked to hell and he didn't know how to put it right.

Running his hands over his face, Caleb sighed and pushed himself towards the breakfast bar. He placed both hands flat on the cold marble and leaned into it, staring hard at the brown, leather-bound journal. Gorman's words echoed in his head: _He wanted you to have this one._

"C'mon, Danvers, this might be the only thing that gets you out of this mess."

He snorted and rolled his eyes at himself before straightening and reaching out for the book. His fingers hadn't even touched the cover and the Power spiked around him, raising goosebumps on his arms. Caleb snatched his hand back and frowned, murmuring a soft, shocked exclamation to the silent room. Another spike of Power shot through his body, stronger this time, and Caleb's knees weakened as he shivered.

That _definitely_ wasn't from the book.

Like a tidal wave, Reid's presence crashed into him, making his heart skip a few beats. A tortured moan echoed around the room at the same time as the front door crashed open. He felt dizzy and weak and so unbelievably _horny_ that he stumbled from the kitchen to the hallway, barely able to control his own body. Reid's emotions washed through him and Caleb had to grab the wall to keep himself from falling to his knees. His rage was like a drug, stoking an already burning fire inside him and Caleb moaned low in his throat in response.

The blond appeared at the other end of the hall, his anger so strong that the Power was already responding with it. Blond hair fluttered over white hot blue eyes and Caleb choked on another moan that was crawling up his throat.

"Reid?" His voice was strained, thin, pain and pleasure warring inside his body for dominance, "Reid, what the h-"

Before he could even finish the sentence, Caleb was slammed back into the nearest wall, so hard that the pictures rattled and tilted. His breath left his body and he struggled to pull in another, but it was hard with Reid's hand wrapped around his throat, fingers tight against his jugular. Caleb's entire being throbbed with his anger, with his rage and his hurt and his heat.

"You bastard," the blond growled dangerously, voice dripping with hatred and pain, "You fucking _bastard_!"

The next thing he knew, Caleb was flying through the air and crash landing on the antique sideboard that had been in the family for generations. Splinters of wood scratched and cut him, snagging and pulling at his clothes. Dizzy and disorientated, Caleb groaned and pulled himself upright, trying to stand, but Reid got there first. A pale hand tangled in the front of his shirt and hauled him to his feet, once again slamming him back into the wall and making Caleb hiss in pain.

"I _trusted_ you," Reid spat, the pitch black of his eyes doing nothing to hide the seething storm swirling behind them, "You _betrayed me_!"

This time Caleb sprawled across the floor, hissing as the carpet burned across the bare skin of his back when his t-shirt hiked up. He ended up in a roll and bounced off the bottom of what he thought was the sofa in the den, although how they ended up here he didn't know. If he'd been in his right mind, he would have forced Reid back with the Power. Caleb had three times the amount Reid did now, it would have been so easy to Use, to pin him against the wall and keep him there while he caught his breath.

But he couldn't.

"Reid. _Reid_ , fuck, stop-"

Instead of listening to him, Reid knelt over him and fisted his hands in his shirt once more, pulling his upper body from the floor and putting them nose-to-nose.

"Fuck... you ...Caleb," He panted, blazing anger pouring into the eldest's body and making him moan, "Fuck you. You took... the only thing that fucking _mattered_ to me. Couldn't stand that I was happy, could you? Couldn't stand that I had Tyler. _Me_!"

"Re-"

"No!" The blond snapped, releasing him suddenly. Caleb winced as his head bounced off the floor, but that was nothing compared to the explosion of pain he felt across the left side of his face as Reid punched him. "You couldn't stand that he was _mine_ and not _yours_!" He punctuated each word with a brutal punch and Caleb was powerless to stop him. He squirmed and groaned trying to shove him off, but Reid wouldn't budge until he'd got his point across and beaten the hell out of Caleb in the process.

But somehow, by some miracle, Caleb managed to find enough leverage to roll them until Reid was on his back. He caught both of Reid's wrists in his hands, struggling to keep him from continuing to use him as a punch bag. Using his body weight, he managed to pin Reid down and lift up on his knees, body hovering over the blond's.

"Fuck," Caleb breathed, "Fuck, Reid, what the _hell_?"

Reid growled and spat in Caleb's face, trying to use the distraction to buck the other male off. When that didn't work he went back to glaring at him, taking a perverse pleasure in the multi-colour patches on his face and the blood trickling down his chin from his split lip, "Don't pretend you don't know, asshole, or do I have to remind you of the time you _fucked my boyfriend_."

The shock and guilt choked him and it was enough to let Reid get the upper-hand again. The blond rolled them and brought his knee up at the same time, lodging it firmly in Caleb's lower stomach. The dark haired male lost his grip on Reid and went sprawling out on the floor again.

"Reid, I didn't- _oomph!_ " Reid's foot connected with his stomach and Caleb curled around himself on instinct.

"Fuckin' liar!" Reid screamed, coughing and wiping the back of his hand over his mouth. Caleb struggled up to a standing position again and Reid just watched, snarling at him and balling his fist in preparation for another hit. But this time Caleb was ready; he caught Reid's arm mid-air and swung him around, slamming him face first into the wall opposite and pinning his arm behind his back. The blond cursed and struggled against him, trying in vain to buck him off.

"Goddammit, Reid, I _didn't fuck Tyler_!"

"Fuck you, you saying he's lying!"

Caleb panted, dropping his head forward slightly as he felt the guilt claw at his insides again, adding to the already turbulent emotions that were swirling inside of him. The adrenaline coursed through his veins along with the Power and the chemical reactions firing along his skin every time Reid moved against him. If he didn't do something he'd explode.

"He's... it's not his fault, I couldn't stop it-"

"What part of _my boyfriend_ didn't you understand!"

He growled threateningly and used all his strength to flip Reid around so they were face to face, noses a scant inch apart. Caleb's body pressed him into the plaster, knee already tight between Reid's thighs while his hands pinned his wrists back to the wall to keep him from fighting him off. Reid's eyes were wide, still sparking with fierce anger, but now there was something else. Something like fear. Something like lust. Something like _need_.

"No, _you_ don't understand," Caleb growled, breathing hard and feeding off the aggression and the anger between them. "You don't understand what's going on, you don't understand what just being _near_ you does to me."

And before Reid could even formulate an answer, Caleb's mouth was already swallowing the words. It was brutal; all teeth and tongue and need and desperation, and the blond couldn't do anything but squirm under his weight and take it, tasting the coppery tang of blood and everything that was Caleb. Embarrassingly needy sounds echoed between them, but neither was sure who was making them. Neither cared. The Power shifted around them, prickling their skin like shards of glass and hitting every pleasure point it could find. Reid's hands buried roughly in thick dark hair, not even knowing how he'd worked out of Caleb's bruising hold. A solid thigh brushed against his erection and Reid whimpered, nails digging into his brother's scalp as his body bucked wildly. ‘ _Oh god, yes, more Cay, c'mon..._ ’

"Oh my _God_!"

A split second later, Reid was left wide-eyed and panting, hands groping at the wall behind him to keep himself upright. An involuntary whimper escaping him as he mourned the loss of Caleb's body heat. The blond looked over to the right, cursing under his breath as he realized both Tyler and Pogue were witness to their overcharged make-out session. Caleb, however, looked between the three of them, chest heaving as he tried to hold on to his last shred of control, staggering back to the opposite side of the room and not stopping until he felt the wall at his back.

"Fuck," Caleb muttered, bringing his hands to his face and closing his eyes against their stunned, angry looks, " _Fuck_."

Breathing hard, Reid slid down the wall until he reached the floor, tongue flicking out against his bruised lips to lick the small trace of blood Caleb had left behind. His body was shaking, but he didn't know if it was anger or lust or both. He'd never experienced anything like _that_ before. It was like his body was on autopilot, like his mind had shut down and he was feeding off Caleb's desperation, his need to join them in the most intimate way. The sounds of their laboured breathing filled the otherwise quiet room but Reid doubted he would hear anything over the roar of his own blood in his ears. He scrubbed his hands through his hair, resting an elbow on his knee and finally looking up at Caleb, now on the other side of the room, looking as sick and as shell-shocked as he felt.

Pogue was the first to break the silence. He moved slowly into the room, feeling strangely calm in the face of recent events, and turned his head towards Caleb, fixing the oldest with an intense stare.

"I think-" he said carefully, voice low but carrying in the hushed silence between them, "-you'd better explain what's going on." Caleb dropped his hands and let his head fall back to the wall, wincing when his tongue caught the split in his lip. "And no more bullshit."

Caleb swallowed thickly, hands shaking as he pressed them back into the wall, trying to find his equilibrium again. Inside he was a wreck; his blood was burning, adrenaline and lust warred, mixed with Reid's outpouring of emotions. It was a miracle he was even standing. He shook his head slightly and moved carefully over to the sofa, where he grabbed the back with both hands and leaned into it, hoping that it would keep him on his feet.

"It... it's the Power," He said finally, head dropping forward a little so his eyes focused on the worn material of the seats. He could still feel their eyes on him as he spoke, "I don't know much, I just... I just know that it makes me... want you."

"What does that mean?" Tyler asked

"It means that I can't be in the same room with you without wanting to screw you into the wall," Caleb shot back with a frustrated growl before lifting his head and levelling his gaze at them. "All I think about, all I _dream_ about... is being with you. All three of you. I can't stop, I can't sleep." He gave a humourless laugh that sounded more like a sob and he turned away from them, "Jesus, you have no idea how many times I've had to keep myself from just..."

"And that's why you've been avoiding us lately?" Pogue said, voice eerily calm. Caleb frowned and looked up again, gaze fixing on the second eldest at the same time Tyler and Reid looked at him. The long-haired teen stared into middle-ground, "That's why every thing's changed..."

"Pogue, did you hear what he said?" Reid croaked from his position on the floor. He coughed to clear his throat, "He wants to _fuck_ us-"

"I heard what he said!" The other boy snapped, losing his cool. He pushed his hands through his hair and shook his head, his focus back on the room again. Caleb's heart twisted and he dropped his head again, unable to stand the pained looks that they shared.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, straightening up and running a hand over his eyes, hoping that the pain would make things better. It didn't. "I'm sorry, this... I didn't know anything about this until Mom-"

"Wait," Tyler interrupted, glaring at Caleb, "You told you're _mom_ about this?!"

He flinched, "She told me. Like I said, I don't know much about it. According to mom it's tied with the Power and as far as I can make out, as each of us Ascends, we get... urges."

"Oh, so _that's_ what I felt just now," Reid muttered sarcastically.

Caleb ignored him, "Because I got double share of the Power, its worse for me. I feel it more than I should. That's why I can't be near you for very long." He rubbed his arm, the itching under his skin getting worse, "I just... I lose control and-"

"-throw us into a wall." Tyler finished, eyebrow arched as he flicked between Reid and Caleb.

The eldest's lips quirked slightly, "Yeah."

"It'll be like this for all of us?" Caleb looked to Pogue, who looked a little sick at the thought. Not that Caleb blamed him, but somewhere deep inside, it hurt to see that he was obviously so disgusted at the prospect.

"When you Ascend, yeah. It eases after... after we..."

"Fuck?" Reid supplied.

Caleb rolled his eyes and replied flatly, "I was going to say 'bond'"

"How does your mom know about this?" Tyler asked with a frown, "I mean, no offence, but she just married into the family. She couldn't have known about this unless..." Tyler trailed off as Caleb looked at him, confirming his line of thought, "Unless your dad told her."

"He knew he wasn't going to be around to explain himself."

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute," Pogue said around a humourless laugh, "Are you saying that this happened with our father's too? That they-" He cut himself off and swallowed, shaking his head in revulsion. Caleb shivered as Pogue's emotions reached out to him and he forced himself not to respond.

"Pogue-"

"Is this what happens to us?" He growled out, his earlier calm slipping away rapidly, "We all become queer for each other and ruin our lives?"

Reid's head snapped up along with Tyler's, eyes blazing holes into his older brother, "Ruin our lives? So that's what we're doing now? Fuck you, Pogue," He slid back up the wall and moved to stand beside Tyler, who's head was turned away in the face of Pogue's apparent disgust. The blond didn't even think before he reached over and laced their fingers together, feeling the tremors in the brunette's body, "Fuck you very much."

Shame burned inside of him, crawling up his throat, making him sick with it. Pogue swallowed against it and dropped his eyes, running his hands through his hair in frustration as he tried to calm himself down. "I... I didn't mean that. I'm happy for you, you know I am, but this... what the hell is this going to do to us, man? How is this ever going to work?"

"We'll figure it out," Tyler answered, voice quiet and hollow in the tense air surrounding them.

Pogue snorted, "No offence, baby boy, but you don't know that. I mean, look at what happened between you three. Can either of you honestly say that you're ok with that?" He looked to Caleb, "What if this doesn't work? What if this destroys us?"

Caleb couldn't answer. He'd been asking himself the same questions; over and over in his mind. He loved his brothers, but was it enough? The urges had been hard, fast, burning inside him like an everlasting fire, but was that all it was going to be between them? Just sex? Or would it deepen into something more, something stronger, something that would transcend their friendship.

He just didn't know.

But he had something that could give them the answers they were all searching for.

"Gorman... Gorman gave me something from dad's stuff," he said deliberately, trying hard to shield himself from their emotions, "A journal. He said dad wanted me to have it because it would help me - us - understand what's going on."

"What, like a manual?" Reid asked, cynicism colouring his voice. Caleb shot him a look and the blond fidgeted a little but stared back defiantly.

"No, like a journal," He said.

"So, lemme get this straight," Pogue said put in, "you're going to read your dad's _journal_ to find out what's going on?"

"It's the only thing we have right now," Caleb said, eyeing the long haired teen across from him.

"Jesus, have you got any idea what's _in_ that?"

"Not until I read it, no," Caleb tried to answer calmly, "What the hell is your problem?"

"Problem? My _problem_?!" Pogue laughed mockingly, "God, where do I start? How about with the part where you're going to read about your dad _screwing_ our dad's!"

They all flinched a little, but it was Tyler who answered, "I don't think it will be that bad."

"It's true though. It’s... it’s _wrong_ , ok?" He shook his head, running his hands over his face and avoiding their eyes, "I'm sorry, I just... I just can't do this right now." The second eldest brushed past Reid and Tyler and walked out, head down and hiding behind his hair.

"Pogue, c'mon..."

But he’d already gone. Caleb blew out a long breath, pressing both elbows into the soft top of the sofa and putting his face in his hands. God, they were so screwed. This was not the way he wanted it to go; he'd wanted to know about it first, to understand it so he could explain better and avoid the inevitable explosion. Instead he'd been forced to spill the whole damn thing.

It was his own fault.

"What now?"

Caleb looked at Reid between his fingers, noting the way he and Tyler stood; shoulder-to-shoulder, fingers entwined, supporting each other. Envy stirred inside him and he ruthlessly crushed it before it could cause any more problems.

"Good question," He said, straightening slowly and moving until he could perch on the arm of the couch. His jeans provided some pressure to his aching erection, but it wasn't enough, and Caleb winced a little as he settled, trying to ignore the sparks of pleasure that raced up his spine. "I don't know. Nothing I guess."

"Bit late for that, don't you think?" The youngest replied. "This changes everything." The brunette’s eyes slid down the other boy's body, resting for a moment on the impression his hard-on made in his jeans. "We can't ignore it."

A shiver rolled over him, his cock twitching almost painfully as Tyler's eyes settled on him. He hissed and leaned forward slightly, body tensing. "Jesus, Ty... don't ....please don't do that."

The brunette flushed and looked away, telling himself that he wasn't turned on by Caleb's reaction. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"Look," Reid said, suddenly becoming the unlikely voice of reason, "This isn't helping. Caleb's right, maybe we should just leave it for now. Pogue..." He sighed, "Pogue needs some time and Caleb needs to get friendly with his left hand or he's probably going to explode from the sexual tension."

Despite himself, Caleb chuckled, "Something like that."

"Are you going to be ok?" Tyler asked, concerned, "I mean that's-"

"I'll be fine," Caleb lied, his smile strained. "You should go."

They nodded and turned to go, but at the last moment, Reid turned and looked over his shoulder, blue eyes fixing on him seriously. Caleb's body throbbed in lust and need, surprised at the concern that flickered behind the residual anger.

"Do me a favour?" He said, "Stop hiding from us."

He swallowed and nodded, emotions clogging his throat so much his voice couldn't get through, and Reid turned and followed Tyler out of the den. A few moments later the dull sound of the door closing floated along the hallway and once again Caleb found himself alone, his world crumbled and broken at his feet.


	10. Chapter 10

After a long, cold shower and some "alone time", Caleb found himself back in the den. The mess from his fight with Reid had been cleared up with a little bit of help from the supernatural. Well, what was he supposed to do? Explaining to his mother that her favourite antique side-table was ruined because Reid decided to drop him on it wasn't a conversation he really wanted to have.

With a sigh he dropped himself into the worn couch, sprawling across the empty seats and wincing a little when bruises were knocked. Fingertips gently ran across his bottom lip, feeling the clean split through the flesh and checking for any blood. It seemed to have stopped. He let his hand drop back to the couch and he shifted carefully, trying to keep the pressure off his battered body. The shower had both helped and made things worse; on the one hand he was no longer so hard that he was on the verge of exploding, but on the other the scrapes and bruises from the fight had angrily made themselves known.

Damn, Reid really went for it when he was mad. Not that Caleb could blame him; he'd had good reason. He knew that if it had been the other way around...

_But **damn** he's hot when he's angry_

He groaned as his body perked up at the thought and shook his head tiredly. This really had to stop now. Dark eyes slid over to the low table in front of him. The journal sat innocently on the wooden surface, stoic and unmoving. Caleb stared at it. Before the fight, the revelations, the anger and shock, he'd been hesitant. Unsure. He'd stared at it for a long time, debating on whether to read or not.

Now he didn't need to think. Now he needed to _know_.

His bruised and battered body protested as he leaned forward to retrieve the book, muscles wrenching slightly. He belatedly wondered if anything else was going to happen to prevent him from opening the journal, but all seemed quiet as he settled back into the sofa. Fingertips slowly drifted over the front cover, eyes following the movements as he picked up on the cracks, creases and blemishes in the dark leather. Caleb swallowed, already imagining his father holding and writing in it. Slowly, he lifted the cover. There was the letter, slightly faded with age, his name penned neatly on the top. A well of emotion bubbled deep inside him.

This was going to be harder than he'd originally thought it would be.

Setting the journal on his lap, he picked up the folded paper and held it between his hands, staring at the letters that made up his name until they no longer resembled a word anymore. Then, slowly, he unfolded the paper and started to read.

> Caleb,
> 
> When a man witnesses the birth of his child, he experiences many emotions. He is overcome with indescribable joy, a sense of achievement, pride, and love the first time he holds that squirming bundle of blankets in his arms. In that moment he knows that he has achieved his one true goal in life; he has produced an heir to carry on his name.
> 
> One emotion he should never have to feel is fear.
> 
> The moment you looked at me, with eyes so much like your mother's, I knew that in 18 years you would inherit the family legacy and with it, your full birthright. The Power of the Covenant. That thought scared me so much that I didn't let you go for the rest of the night. I took my place beside your mother's hospital bed and held you as you slept, unwilling and unable to let you out of my sight.
> 
> And yet, somewhere deep down, I knew that whatever fate had in store for you, you would handle the Power with the grace and the dignity that I had not. I watched you through the night and I knew that you would become a fine, loyal, and honourable man. A man that I would be proud to call my son.

Teeth sank into his bottom lip, winced as the cut throbbed painfully, but he used the pain to rid himself of the tears that had collected behind his eyes. He lay the letter down in his lap and tilted his head back to rest against the back of the sofa, eyes closed in an effort to pull himself together. But it was hard. Emotions that he'd pushed away years ago flooded through him, opening up old wounds he thought had healed over.

When he was a kid, his dad could do no wrong. He idolized his father like most kids do when they were young. Fragments of buried memories rose to the surface, showing in flashes behind his closed eyes; his dad helping him to ride his brand new bike on Christmas morning, picking him up when he fell off and grazed his knees, Caleb sneaking into the study when he was eight and crawling into his father's lap because he was sad. Something caught in his chest at that memory, his mind putting the pieces of the puzzle together. He hadn't really known at the time why his dad had been so upset. Somewhere in his mind he had known it had something to do with Wayne Parry's disappearance, but he was too young to know _why_. Now, with the benefit of hindsight and the new information about the Power, Caleb understood why his father reacted the way he did.

Somebody he loved just up and left without a word, without even saying goodbye, and Caleb knew that if he had been in the same position, if history repeated and Pogue wanted out, he would be beyond devastated. His heart gave a painful lurch in his chest and Caleb frowned as he reached up to rub at the hurt. If Pogue decided he couldn't handle this side of the Power...

He shook himself. He couldn't think about that right now. Besides, once Pogue had calmed down, maybe he'd change his mind. Maybe he'd accept it. Caleb swallowed and returned his attention to the letter.

> It is with regret that I say that I won’t be around to witness that milestone year. I have not been careful with my life and so I am paying the price. By now I am sure you are aware of the flaw in the Power; I know Gorman has watched over the four of you and has told you of your legacy, the challenges you will face in the next crucial years of your life. But he has not told you everything. He has not told you of the other side-effect of the Power.
> 
> You must understand, you are brothers; bound to each other by the Power that runs thick in your blood. But as each of you Ascends you will become more than that; your lives and loves binding you just as, if not more strongly than, the Power. At first the lust will consume you. It will burn brighter and hotter than the sun and it's a pull you won't be able to resist, but don't be fooled. The bond you share will be so much more than that. The hardest part is that you have to trust that those feelings will change; you have to believe that what you feel right now will deepen into something stronger than the friendship you share.
> 
> That was something I didn't figure out until it was nearly too late. I was too scared of the Power to think that there could be anything good about it. I, like you, had to stand by and watch as my father withered and died before my very eyes. How could anything that was so vicious and addictive be good for us? So I held out. After my Ascending I resisted the pull and tried to carry on with my life, but while I was content with ignoring the situation, my course of inaction did not work so well for Wayne, Glenn and Joseph. The change was slow at first, but in time they grew bitter and hateful, not only towards me but to each other too. The connection we all should have shared was turning sour, infecting all of us like poison, making us do and say things that were completely out of character. It got so bad that Glenn, the one we always trusted to be the most grounded, landed Wayne in the hospital with a broken nose and a black eye. If Gorman hadn't have been around to shake sense into us, we would have destroyed everything.
> 
> But I got over my fears and learned to take those feelings for what they were. I stopped trying to resist them and instead of losing myself to something I couldn't control, I found something worth living for. I loved them with a passion and a conviction that sometimes scared me and for a long time I thought that we'd stay together until the end. We had our issues like we always did, but we were happy. Together. And that's the way I always thought it would be.
> 
> But we grew up. Each of us met someone and started families of our own, but even then, the bond between us was solid and strong. I loved your mother and I loved you, but I loved them too. I thought we would manage. Then Wayne left without so much as a goodbye. He left a hole in our hearts so big we thought we'd never recover. In some ways we didn't. We were devastated and desperate and we turned to the only thing that we were sure of; the Power. In searching for the missing piece of our whole, we damned ourselves, and pretty soon I was the only one left. I stopped Using, but by that time it was too late. I'd already Used half my life away and I was steadily getting worse.
> 
> When the four of you turned 13 and learned your true heritage, you read the Book cover to cover, so excited by the Power that you ignored the drawbacks. By the time I was moved to the Colony house, I was pretty sure at least one of you knew the Book inside out and could quote it verbatim. But that wasn't the entire Book. The year after the four of you were born, Wayne, Joseph, Glenn and I pooled our magic and cast a spell on it, hiding every reference to this side of the Power. It has been this way for centuries, Caleb. You were too young to understand and knowing would have caused more harm than good. In order to keep this spell alive, however, it must draw on the magic constantly. With four of us to draw from it was easier, but as each of my brothers died, it was left up to me. Undoing it wasn't an option; it was too strong for any one of us to attempt. There are only two things that can break the spell. The first is the eldest's Ascending. The second is my death. Only then will the Book be complete again.

The Book... Caleb flashed back to Gorman's house, the way he'd felt when he'd stepped through the door that morning. A shiver chased over his skin at the thought of what he'd find there now. When he was a kid, he remembered some things that didn't make any sense, things that confused all of them, and when asked, his father just shook his head and told him that he'd understand soon.

Caleb glanced back down to the letter, re-reading the last few lines and feeling the sadness wash over him again. He wondered if his dad knew that it would be both of those things ending the spell this time. The letter told him that he didn't expect to be around before he Ascended, but he had stayed. He fought to stay alive until the very last moment. _Did he know that I would need him?_

> I've asked Gorman to pass this journal to you when you are of age. Together with the Book, it will hopefully shed some light on the things that have been pushed to the dark corners, help you find the answers to your questions. I know this is a lot to take in, son, but please try to understand. Tyler, Reid and Christopher need you as much as you need them, now more than ever. You are so much stronger together than apart. Trust in that and your path will become clear.
> 
> Love always,  
>  Your father

He stared at the letter between his hands, scanning and reading certain passages again and again, the child in him wanting to feel closer to his father. But after a while, Caleb sat back and sighed, fingers deftly folding the letter back up and replacing it between the cover of the journal. Something inside him settled and eased and it took a moment for him to realize what it was: peace. He felt lighter now, like someone had taken away some of the weight that had been placed on his shoulders. Caleb had needed to read that. He had needed to know that his father was proud of him, that he loved him, and that he was doing the right thing.

The sound of the front door opening and closing pulled him from his reverie. His mother was home. Caleb took a moment to gather himself again, rubbing his face tiredly with both hands before he uncurled himself from the sofa and stood. He picked up the leather-bound journal and stared at it, apprehension and curiosity stirring inside of him. Once he started reading this, there was no going back. It was a window to his father's past and a gateway to his future. He stared silently for a few seconds more before Caleb shook his head and finally started to move, putting one foot in front of the other and heading out of the den towards the study along the hall.

It was time to start fixing the mess they were in.

\--------

Tyler lost himself to the blurred scenery as they moved along the road. The silence in the car was tense, almost deafening, and the youngest stared out of the window to try to escape the thoughts racing around his head. It didn't work as well as he'd hoped it would. Instead of watching the trees race by, he was watching Caleb throw Reid against the wall. He was watching Reid cling to the oldest member of their Coven, rubbing off on him like he was starved of it, begging him to give him more. Tyler rubbed his arms absently, a shiver tripping over his skin that had nothing to do with the cold November air around them. Logically he should be beyond hurt, he should feel betrayed and jealous and on some level he was. But overriding that were the tingles along his spine, the heat that slid along his body, going down down down and settling between his legs, his body reacting automatically to the images seared into his brain.

God, this was so messed up.

So lost to his own thoughts, it took Tyler a few moments to realize that they had completely by passed the school. He blinked and frowned, lifting his head up from the window a little to glance through the windshield, trying to figure out where Reid was taking them. When they took the next turning, Tyler knew exactly where they were heading.

"Mom's away in Europe," Reid murmured quietly, knowing what Tyler was thinking. His usual cockiness had disappeared and all that was left was just a soft weariness. The blond didn't look at him as he spoke, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, "The house is empty."

Tyler nodded and settled back in his seat, shaken out of his thoughts by the change. It didn't take them long to reach the Garwin residence and as they turned into the driveway, the familiar childish joy stirred inside him. He'd been closest to Reid when they were kids, practically joined at the hip as they grew up and Tyler could remember what seemed like a million and one summers spent in this house. It wasn't as big or as lavish as Caleb's but it was sizable; with 6 huge bedrooms spread across three floors it more than enough for Reid and his mom, and a hell of a lot more up-to-date than the Danvers' estate. He remembered how the white wood frontage had gleamed in the summer sun, the smell of the lawns when they were freshly mowed, the sweet flowers in the beds and the bushes. Despite the weight of their current situation, Tyler couldn't help the small smile that pulled at the corners of his mouth at the memories that flooded him.

Both teenagers got out of the car and made their way into the house. Tyler followed Reid through the welcoming hallway and up the stairs, knowing the blond was heading towards his bedroom instinctively. But once they were there and the door was closed, the awkward silence stretched between them again. Reid dumped his jacket on top of a bed he hadn't slept in in months and turned towards the desk on the other side of the room, running bare fingers over the shiny wooden surface, more to give his hands something to do than anything else. He was shaken up, confused. If someone had asked him a few days ago who he wanted, the answer would have been Tyler. No hesitation, no stalling. He was happy with what they had.

Now... now he wasn't so sure.

Tyler stood awkwardly by the door, pulling at the sleeves of his shirt nervously, "Reid, I-" he started, knowing that everything he could say would sound cheap and meaningless right now. He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face, "Look, are we gonna talk about this or are we just gonna stand here and play the game of waiting for the other to crack?"

"You just lost," Reid murmured quietly.

"Dammit, Reid!" Tyler growled, glaring at the blond's back until he turned and pinned him with his own angry, lost stare.

"What do you want me to say, Ty?"

"I don't know!" Tyler pushed a hand through his hair in frustration, "I don't know, ok? I just..." He shook his head and turned to sit heavily on the end of the bed, "We need to talk about this."

Reid made a less than amused sound and shook his head, leaning back against the desk and crossing his arms over his stomach. "We cheated on each other with the same person, what's left to talk about?"

"Fuck you, there's _way_ more to this than just cheating."

"What, you mean the Power screwing us over again?" Reid forced out, "It's not enough that it slowly kills us, it has to pull us together into a fucked-up orgy too." The blond laughed, but it sounded hollow and wrong as he tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling, "You know I was totally fine being with you. We were going ok, you know? And it felt more real than anything I've had with anyone else. But this is just..."

He trailed off and Tyler felt his stomach twist in despair. "What we _have_ is real. It's always been real," Nervous fingers picked at the cool covers beside his thigh, "But if what Caleb is saying is true, then we're gonna have to figure out exactly where we're at. I don't want this to ruin us."

Reid gave a soft sigh and moved towards the bed, settling himself in the space the other side of Tyler. "I don't either," he said softly, truthfully, "But it's not something I've ever thought about before and it's a lot to ask."

Tyler was silent, soaking in Reid's close presence at his side. He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing, trying to think of ways to make this work. Reid was right, it _was_ a lot to ask of them. But god, if it was going to be anything like what he felt when Caleb touched him...

"What was it like?" Tyler asked suddenly, a low murmur in the hush of the room, "With Caleb. What was it like?" The other boy tensed and looked down at his hands, picking at the hangnails and ignoring the increasing soreness. "Reid?"

"It was... it was hot," he said, equally low, the words cutting like broken glass in his mouth, "Like, I couldn't control myself or something. I burned and I ached and all I could think about was getting more from him. I wanted him to make me come so bad that I couldn't help myself."

Tyler shivered at the sound of Reid's voice, the memory returning to him once more and making his mouth go dry. He swallowed thickly and ignored his body's reaction and the need to just crawl into Reid's lap and take care of it.

"I would never deliberately cheat on you," Tyler said finally, "Whatever happened with Caleb... it wasn't like I went with the intention of getting off with him, no more than it was yours." He opened his eyes, turned towards the blond and said the hardest thing he thought he'd ever say, "But that doesn't mean I didn't like it."

Reid thought that probably should have made him angry, but strangely it didn't. He couldn't be angry because being angry with Tyler would make him a hypocrite. If he was going to be honest with himself, he had to admit that he'd liked it too. The feel of a body against his that _wasn't_ Tyler's excited him, the taste of someone different on his tongue made him weak. But how could he explain that to Tyler without making it sound like he wanted someone over him? He tried a few times, his mouth opening and closing before the other boy took pity on him.

"I know," he said simply, eyes earnest. Reid released the breath he'd been holding, his relief short lived.

"This changes everything, you know?" He said slowly, "It won’t just be me and you anymore."

Tyler dropped his eyes to stare at the dark denim covering Reid's thigh, "Is there still a you and me?" he said softly, hesitantly.

Reid didn't need to think about his answer, "Yes." Tyler glanced up, the hope in his eyes almost painful and Reid fidgeted under the scrutiny, "I mean, if you still want there to be."

"Yes," Tyler said quickly, finally lifting his hand to cup the fair skin of his cheek, "Yes."

A strangely sad kind of smile hovered over Reid's mouth and he reached up to complete the circle of contact, sliding his hand behind Tyler's neck at the same time the younger boy let his hand drop to press flat against his chest. They moved together, leaning forward until warm foreheads pressed together. Tyler swallowed and closed his eyes, letting himself just _be_ after the emotional upheaval of the last few hours. He felt the slow beat of Reid's heart under his palm, felt his breath fan gently across his face. He couldn't lose this.

"What about the rest?" Reid said quietly, hating to break the quiet ease. But he had to know.

Tyler opened his eyes. They were far from having it all worked out and he knew that they were going to have to talk about that side of the problem soon. But right now he wanted this moment to last for a little longer.

"One thing at a time, Re," He said softly, "One thing at a time."

\--------

Four black marble headstones sat side by side like soldiers lining a battlefield. They were identical to each other, except for the letters running through the centre, carved and inlaid with gold spelling out the names of the four men under the soil. Pogue stood before the third grave, his shoulders hunched against the biting winter chill that whipped his hair around his face. Three weeks ago he'd stood here, itching to get out, needing to get away from the pain of old wounds re-opening. He'd turned tail and ran, just like he'd done today. He was good at that. _It runs in the family,_ a vicious voice in the back of his mind taunted.

But no-one was more surprised than him when he found himself back here. He hadn't planned on ever coming back. So why was he here? Why now?

The teenager slid his hands in his pockets and bent his head forward, suddenly feeling so much younger than his 17 years, and spoke into the dark.

"Hi Dad," He snorted softly and had a moment of _dude, you're talking to a gravestone_ before he pushed the feeling aside, "Surprised? Yeah, me too." He shook the hair from his face and lifted his head a little, glancing around the empty cemetery. There were flowers in varying states of bloom and decay placed by headstones and statues and plaques. He thought these graves looked out of place in comparison; no-one stopped to leave flowers anymore.

"When I was a kid, I thought it was something I'd done that made you leave," he said softly, his voice taken by the wind, "That's why I was so angry; I thought it was me and I was angry at myself for making mom cry. Then I grew up and told myself you were an asshole instead." A bitter smirk curved his mouth, eyes returning to the gold letters that stood out against the darkness. "And maybe that's true, you know? Maybe you _were_ an asshole. But maybe there was another reason too. Like this... _thing_ ...between you and-"

He cut himself off and sighed, pulling his hands from his pockets to rake through his hair, fingers snagging in the tangles the wind had caused.

"When did things get so fucked up?" He murmured, not sure if he was talking to himself or addressing the grave. Things were beyond complicated now. Without a shadow of a doubt, he knew things were never going to be the same, and that thought terrified him. "Jesus, how the hell am I supposed to deal with this?"

His questions were met with silence. Pogue glanced up at the grave in the dark and shook his head in frustration; he wasn't going to find the answers here. Rubbing frozen hands over his equally frozen face, he turned away from the graves and started to make his way towards the car. He was tired and he ached, his emotions wrung out of him. Wearily, he slid back behind the wheel of his car and started the journey back to Spencer.

It was only when he was safely back at the dorms and buried under the blankets on his bed that the answer to his questions came to him. The tentative thought followed him into dream land and settled as a seed in the back of his mind.

_Maybe it's time I stop running._


	11. Chapter 11

Monday morning came like a punch to the stomach to Tyler, who almost felt cheated out of his weekend by the emotional roller coaster of Saturday. The youngest member of the Covenant groaned and reached out from beneath the warm covers to smack blindly at his alarm clock, eventually catching the snooze button on his fourth go. Blissful silence. A small, sleepy smile tugged at his lips, his eyes drooping once more. _Just five more minutes...._

The covers shifted, several limbs tightened around his body and a cold nose pressed against the back of his neck, hot breath stirring the short hair at his nape. For a few brief seconds, in his barely awake state, Tyler was able to pretend that nothing was wrong. Cocooned in the almost sacred hush of the early morning, Tyler allowed himself to think that it was just another Monday morning, where Reid was wrapped around him because they'd had amazing sex the night before and they were both completely happy and sated. Any minute now, Reid was going mumble his complaints into his skin and bemoan the fact they had to move out of bed while Tyler silently agreed by worming his hands under the covers and into all of the places that made Reid moan in a different way.

His mind, however, refused to keep up the illusion. Because they _hadn't_ had amazing sex the night before. Because they hadn't even gone to sleep in the same bed. Tyler sighed softly, sleep finally falling away and leaving him to face harsh reality. Sunday had allowed them time to talk, Reid's empty house had allowed them the space and the privacy to deal with the situation at hand, but even after all the talking their emotions were still bruised and raw. It was too much to just forgive and forget. Taking things slow was the only option.

Apparently, Reid had ignored certain parts of their talk yesterday. He probably should have been more annoyed than he was, but his relief had swallowed it for now. One hand moved down below the blankets, searching out the arm that had banded around his waist and returned the hold for a few moments.

"'m sorry."

Lips brushed against his skin as they moved to form the words, and Tyler was surprised at the clarity in the blond's voice. He'd been awake for a while and the knowledge that he didn't try and sneak back out of bed, despite what they'd said yesterday, made his heart a little lighter.

"It's ok. Really."

All of their words had been exhausted. They didn't speak again until Tyler's alarm sounded once more and broke the hushed quiet between them. With a lost sigh, the blond reluctantly let Tyler go and rolled onto his back. He wobbled a bit, teetering on the edge of the narrow bed and nearly falling off, but Tyler automatically reached out to steady him as he slipped out the other side. They shared a soft, nearly embarrassed kind of smile before the youngest wandered off towards the showers to get ready.

Reid watched him until Tyler's back turned into dark solid wood, then he closed his eyes and rubbed both hands over his face. It wasn't unusual for him to want to roll over and go back to sleep on a Monday morning, to gripe about going to classes and generally annoy everyone who would listen to him. What was unusual was the feeling of dread that settled in the pit of his stomach at seeing Caleb and Pogue. Even when they butted heads (which was a lot for Caleb and Reid), he'd never _dreaded_ seeing them.

Right now the thought of his two older 'brothers' was making him squirm. What went down with Caleb on Saturday still played on his mind; he could still feel the demanding tongue sweeping through his mouth, the hot hands that pinned him to the wall, that strong thigh between his legs that knew exactly where to press. A shiver passed over him. _Damn_.

With an explosive exhale, Reid flipped the covers back and slid out of Tyler's bed, casting tired eyes around the room in search of his uniform. A frown creased his brow; hiding in Tyler's bed like a coward wasn't Reid's style. _Might as well face the music. 'Least then we'll know just how fucked we are._

He'd just managed to find his clean uniform as Tyler came back, blue towel wrapped around his waist but still slightly damp from his quick shower. The youngest's eyes immediately locked on to Reid's athletic form, his stomach flip-flopping when the other teen looked at him. Blue eyes held his for untold minutes.

"You dreading this as much as I am?" Reid asked eventually.

Tyler blew out a short breath and nodded, "Yeah." He ran nervous hands over his wet hair, slicking it back to his head, "It's like... this isn't just some petty argument between you and Caleb. It's something that changes us, changes our whole lives..."

"I know," Reid moved forward, reaching out as though to touch Tyler and then thinking better of it and letting his hand fall to his side again, "I know. But we'll deal." He shrugged at Tyler's skeptical look, "We managed Chase, didn't we?"

"Yeah, not without nearly losing Caleb and Pogue."

"We'll _deal_ ," Reid said firmly, finally moving closer and taking his chance, curling his hand around the back of Tyler's neck, pressing their foreheads together. The other teen's mouth twitched into a small smile, a hand settling on Reid's bare hip.

"I thought I was supposed to be the practical one."

He snorted softly, keeping the connection with his boyfriend, "Consider it a blip. I'm sure I'll get over it."

Tyler pinched him lightly, smirking when Reid hissed and jerked away, "You better shower or we're gonna be late."

"Yes mother," he replied dryly, making a face before leaving the room. Tyler snorted and shook his head. Once dried and dressed, he gathered his books and Reid's, the domesticity of the routine soothing him and settling some of the unease he felt at the thought of seeing Pogue and Caleb again. Dropping both their bags, packed and ready onto the bed, he sighed. If nothing else, today was going to be... interesting.

\--------

They went their separate ways for first period, Tyler heading towards the English block while Reid made his way towards his Geometry class. He took his usual seat near the back and pulled out the relevant books, intending to lose himself to the work so that he didn't have to think about seeing the oldest members of the coven. But even as Professor Nolan started to read from her copy of the poetry textbook they'd been told to study, Tyler found he just couldn't concentrate on the work. Nolan's animated voice washed over him, even the words in the textbook blurred together. He slumped down in his seat and tried to ignore the nervous butterflies in his stomach.

No matter how hard he'd tried, he just couldn't stop thinking about Caleb. He replayed the scenes over and over and over again in his mind; Caleb and Reid, himself and Caleb. He'd never thought of him like that before. Ok, sure, he'd noticed that he was hot. _Everyone_ noticed he was hot. But Caleb was the oldest, the 'big brother' that took his job too seriously sometimes. He wasn't supposed to be the guy he fantasized about being with, and he _damn_ sure wasn't supposed to think about him screwing _his boyfriend_.

"Mr Simms!" Tyler jumped as Nolan's sharp voice broke his train of thought, "If you would kindly pay attention..." Blushing furiously as the girls behind him giggled into their hands, Tyler sat up straighter and forced himself to concentrate on his class.

Second period arrived quicker than expected and Tyler caught up to Reid just as he was filing into the auditorium for Lit. They took their seats, communicating silently with passing looks and barely there touches, reassuring each other as much as they could. Lit was one of the few classes the four of them had together, and the first time they would see each other since Saturday.

It was crunch time.

Two sets of eyes locked onto a familiar figure as he walked through the doors, brown hair loose around his face, hiding him from the rest of the world. As if he sensed their gaze, Pogue looked up, freezing for a second on the steps. In that second of connection he knew that they were just as nervous as he was and strangely it made him feel better. He swallowed roughly, hand tightening around the strap of his bag, and nodded slightly at them before turning into his row.

The three fidgeted in their seats, surreptitiously stealing glances at the doors and trying not to make it look obvious that they were waiting for the last member of their group to arrive and throw their world into chaos once more.

Only... he didn't.

The auditorium filled up with students, the low hum of general chatter carried around the large room until the Professor called for quiet, and then class started. But still no sign of Caleb. The seat beside Pogue was empty, no familiar dark head bent over his notebook or slouched into the bench.

' _Guess he's still hiding from us._ '

Tyler's eyebrow lifted slightly at the hint of bitterness in Pogue's mental voice. He glanced over to the older teen.

' _I don't think he'd be able to keep to himself if he was here right now, do you?_ ' he told Pogue.

' _Does this mean you're not completely disgusted by us?_ ' Reid put in, unable not to throw his words back in his face, mostly out of spite, but partly with a need to know if Pogue approved or not. He hated himself for caring but the thought alone was enough to make Reid's stomach clench in fear. He didn't want to lose him over this. Reid ignored Tyler's quick glare, eyes fixed on Pogue as the older teen half turned in his seat to send him a glare of his own.

' _I've **never** been disgusted by you, idiot. I was just-_ '

"Mr Parry, Mr Garwin, could you please refrain from making eyes at each other and concentrate on the text?"

Quiet giggles and snorts rippled through the class and broke the three out of their link. Reid smirked and settled back in his seat, letting the comment slide over him with his usual cockiness while Pogue flushed slightly and slid down in his seat to avoid the looks shot his way. Tyler waited until the Prof had returned to his lecture to roll his eyes.

' _Lunch,_ ' he sent to both of them, ' _We need to talk._ '

\--------

To say it was awkward was an understatement. The three met in the library, way way back in the stacks of old books where they knew they wouldn't be disturbed. Reid and Tyler had taken residence at the table that had been conveniently placed there, and Pogue joined them a couple of minutes later, dropping his bag with a muted thump on the floor before taking one of the free seats around the table. Silence reigned; words stuck in throats and mouths unwilling to work, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Reid and Pogue glanced at each other a few times and then averted their eyes again, and Tyler watched both of them with rising agitation.

As usual, it was Tyler that caved.

"Stubborn assholes," he muttered to himself before saying in a louder voice, "Ok, we're here to figure this shit out. So... let's figure."

Reid snorted, eyebrow raised as he settled back into his chair, arms crossed over his chest, "What, you mean the shit with Caleb wanting to screw us all? Shouldn't said horny fucker be in the room when we discuss?"

It was all Tyler could do to keep himself from reaching over and hitting the blond sat next to him. Instead he glared.

"Right now we come first," he said, flicking a hard gaze between his two brothers. Pogue's eyes resolutely stayed on the scratched table top, but the youngest knew that he was listening, that he was involved even if it didn't seem like it, "This affects all of us and we gotta sort out how _we_ feel about this before trying Caleb again. With the way he is at the moment, we'd be making things worse for him, not better." He paused, "So. How do we feel?"

His question was met with silence. Tyler resisted the urge to bang his head off the table.

"I was never disgusted by you."

Two pairs of eyes focused on Pogue after his quiet words filtered through. He still wasn't looking at them, sat back in his own chair and unconsciously mirroring Reid's position, shoulders tense.

"You're my brothers. It doesn't matter to me, ok?" Finally he looked at them, determination and a myriad of other emotions shifting in the hazel depths. "I opened my mouth before my brain kicked in so whatever I said... I didn't mean it how it sounded."

Something inside Reid unwound, his worry over Pogue's reaction defusing. Dealing with the current situation was enough right now without the fear of Pogue rejecting them. He managed to acknowledge him with a nod, the knot in his chest loosening a little.

"But this... this isn't easy for me, ok?" He seemed to lose his stoic facade and he leaned forward, arms unfolding and resting on the surface in front of him. He stared down at his hands as he picked at a split in the skin around his thumb nail, "You can't expect me to switch teams over night."

"But you'd be willing to switch teams," Tyler said slowly, trying to pick up on what Pogue wasn't saying, "You'd be willing to go along with it."

Pogue snorted, "I don't think I have a choice."

"If this thing is connected to the Power then probably not," Reid threw in, eyes steady on the eldest of the three, "But this is Caleb. He thinks he's responsible for us, that he should _protect_ us at all times." The blond snorted, lips curling slightly, "And while it annoys the hell out of me most of the time, it's just the way he is. Caleb wouldn't want us to do this because 'we have no choice'. You know how guilty he'd feel if that were the case."

"But that's the point, we _don't_ have a choice."

"No, the point is that it doesn't matter if we have a choice or not," Tyler said, looking between the other two boys, "This is Caleb, the guy who's been there for all of us no matter what. He's an asshole sometimes and he has the world’s biggest guilt complex, but he's our _brother_. Always has been and always will be. This doesn't change that."

"Doesn't it?" And there it was, clear as day in Pogue's voice. That fear. That desperation. That underlying feeling of apprehension, of anxiety, because how could this _not_ change everything? "What if this breaks us? What if we do this and it pushes us further away?"

"What if we do nothing and it does the same thing?" Tyler countered, shaking his head and finally realizing their part in this, "It's a chance we have to take, Pogue."

"Because if we don't, we'll never know," the blond cut in, "It'll be something that we'll look back on and wonder why we didn't do it. It'll be that one thing in life above all else that we regret. We spend our lives worrying about the 'what ifs' but are too shit scared to take the risk."

"You're seriously saying you'd share Tyler with us? Willingly?"

Reid's gaze drifted from Pogue to Tyler, meeting his eyes unflinchingly. Would he? He thought back to the weekend, back to the words exchanged between them. They hadn't been dating for long, but Reid had known Tyler his whole life. They used to joke when they were kids that they were twins, even though a blind person could have told them otherwise. It didn't matter to them. Even as they got older and other wonders were revealed to them, Tyler had always been there with him to experience it, to share it.

But Caleb had been there too. When Joey Lee pushed him down in third grade and tried to take his lunch money, Caleb helped him up and pushed Joey back. He got detention from the teacher who caught them fighting, but Caleb said later that he didn't mind, that Joey was a bully and no-one picked on his little brother. Throughout his life, Reid could pick up on a number of occasions where Caleb had been there to help him, and even though it grated on his nerves that the bastard still thought he needed protecting like a kid, a part of Reid would always appreciate him just being there for him. For _them_.

But did that mean he would be ok with sharing Tyler? Sharing himself?

"Yeah."

The answer surprised Tyler and Pogue. The former, who hadn't backed down from his boyfriend's intense gaze, blinked and searched familiar blue eyes for the truth, for what he was really feeling. Reid's lips curved upwards a little and he nodded slowly, transferring his gaze to Pogue, who stared hard at him, wondering if this was a joke.

"I would."

"But... _why_?"

The blond shrugged a little and finally unfolded his own arms to lean forward on the table, "Because it's _Caleb_. It's like... we don't have the best track record lately, and yeah he still pisses me off with all the 'I'm oldest, I know what's best for you' crap. But I still love him, you know? He's still my brother and as much as I hate to admit it, I'd do anything for him."

"Even if it means being pulled into this big 'fucked-up orgy'?"

A half embarrassed, half amused grin stretched Reid's mouth and he glanced at the youngest, the knot inside of him loosening some more at the tender smile he graced him with. At least he knew that Tyler was ok with his conclusion. The question was, was Pogue?

The long-haired teen stared at them, hazel eyes full of his turbulent feelings. He'd battled with himself yesterday, had tried to figure out where he stood and if he could agree to what Caleb was asking. Now, faced with his brothers, his mind was screaming at him to run. To run as fast and as far away as possible, because he was scared that whatever this was would ruin them.

_Maybe it's time I stop running._

After a long silence, Pogue finally spoke, "I can't jump into this. I still need some time. But Caleb is my brother too, and if this was the way it was meant to be, then so be it."

Reid and Tyler glanced at each other again and nodded slowly, the three of them feeling the weight of the situation rest a little easier on their shoulders. The distant ringing of the school bell cut in before they could speak again and the blond sighed and grabbed his bag.

"This little heart-to-heart has been fun, ladies, but I got a class to sleep through."

Pogue snorted and cuffed the back of his head as the three of them stood from the table. Tyler snickered, following them as they made their way out of the library. They'd just got out into the corridor when Pogue turned slightly and levelled them both with a serious look.

"What about Caleb?"

"Yeah, we need to discuss with His Horniness too," Reid answered, both of them now looking at Tyler.

"Tonight. We'll see him tonight." The other two nodded and went their separate ways towards class. Tyler stood by the library doors for a moment longer, eyes glazed over slightly as he lost himself to the thought of seeing Caleb for the first time since his big revelation. "And let's pray we don't fuck this up more than it already is."

\--------

He sighed and sat back into the stiff leather sofa, dropping the ballpoint to the notepad in his lap to rub at his face. His eyes were gritty and tired, stinging a little as he roughly rubbed his fingers into them. Since he'd started reading the journal, he hadn't been able to stop. Words, letters, thoughts and feelings from long ago consumed him, pulled him deeper and deeper into his father's head. He read long into the night, through till Sunday morning, and only stopped when exhaustion claimed him.

Not long after he'd started, he'd decided to note down certain passages from the journal; thoughts and feelings, the way William thought the bond worked, the way the Power shifted and changed around them as each of the Sons from the previous generation Ascended. Caleb looked down at the leather bound journal balanced precariously on his knee. It was so strange to read about them from his father's eyes, to see the traits his brother's shared with their fathers. Tyler had definitely inherited his dad's sensibility, Pogue had Wayne Parry's skittishness when emotions were involved, and there was no doubt where Reid's attitude had come from. But it was harder to see what he himself had gained from William Danvers. _Probably his protectiveness_ , he thought, fingers deftly marking his place and then flicking back to an entry near the front.

>   
>  _June 4  
>  Sometimes I wonder why we have all this Power. The more we Use, the more it drains our life. It doesn't protect us, doesn't keep us safe. It can't prevent us from getting sick, it can't help when one of us is landed in hospital with a damn burst appendix! _
> 
> _Glenn had to drag me home from the hospital last night because I wouldn't leave. I couldn't leave. He didn't see how bad Joe was, he didn't see how much pain he was in. I did. It scared me half to death seeing him cry and hurt like that, and not being able to do jack about it. The Power just made him scream in agony when I tried._
> 
> _They say I worry too much, but I know they were just as scared last night. I felt it in the way Glenn held on, his arms like vices around me. Wayne did his usual disappearing act. He came back though. He always comes back._

If the tables were turned, and it was Tyler who was sick, Caleb knew without a doubt that they'd react in exactly the same way. Reid wouldn't leave his side without a fight, Pogue would take himself out of the situation, and he would try his best to keep them calm whilst silently fretting about the youngest of their Coven. The memory of Pogue lying in the hospital bed haunted him; they'd all wanted a piece of Chase for that. Caleb knew that Reid and Tyler hadn't wanted him to go alone to face the wayward Son, but it had to be the way it was. He just didn't know why yet.

Untold minutes passed him by and Caleb didn't know how long he sat there, staring at the journal without really seeing it, lost in his own head. Familiar tingles drifted down his spine, raising goosebumps on his flesh, and he glanced up with wide eyes at the clock. Five thirty. The Power prickled lightly under his skin and he sighed, rubbing his arm absently. They were here.


	12. Chapter 12

They'd known he was here as soon as they turned into the driveway. All three of them shivered when the Power caressed them and Reid had to chuckle at the colour that rose in Tyler and Pogue's cheeks. The blond glanced in the rear-view and caught Pogue squirming uncomfortably against the seats. Yeah, this was going to be _hard_ for all of them. Reid snorted at his own joke and Tyler threw him a confused look that he didn’t answer.

"You think he'll be... alright?" Pogue asked as the hummer rolled to a stop outside the large house, looking up at the imposing structure warily.

"I don't think he's going to rape us, if that's what you mean," Reid answered him.

"I mean _him_ dickwad. Is he gonna be alright if we just drop by? Considering what happened last time." Pogue gave Reid a meaningful glare and the other teen flipped him off.

"Well we won’t know until we get out the damn car," Tyler cut in, leaving the hummer before either of them could comment.

They didn't bother knocking. Tyler used the spare key to let them in and then led them up the stairs towards Caleb. Instinctively he knew that the eldest Son was in the Study and the closer he got, the more he could feel the Power along his skin. It didn't hurt, it was just... _there_. Like a pleasurable itch he couldn't scratch.

"Anyone else feel like dry humping against the wall?"

The quiet words pulled a laugh from him and Tyler glanced to Reid, who was grinning back. Pogue snorted behind them, but didn't deny it.

"Hey."

Tyler smiled at the other teen as they entered the large study, locating him on the small leather loveseat by the desk. There was a book and a notepad beside him, a pen resting on top of a page crawling with black ink. But Tyler was more concerned with how Caleb was than what he'd been doing, and by the looks of it he wasn't doing as well as they thought. The youngest took note of the dark circles under his eyes and the shadowing along his jaw. His stomach knotted in worry.

"Typical Caleb," Reid muttered humorously, moving to lean against the large desk, "You skip classes to study at home."

The dark haired teen snorted at him, "Not exactly. It's dad's journal."

"You find anything out?"

Caleb glanced quickly to Pogue, who lifted himself up onto the desk top, and then looked back to the book by his side. He still felt guilty for the lust that shot through him when he felt them close like this. He was already semi-hard and they'd barely been in the room 5 minutes. Caleb shrugged and answered him.

"Yes and no," he said, glancing over the notes he made, "There was a letter that explained some things about what it is, but he just tells us to go to the Book for the rest."

"The Book of Damnation?" Reid questioned, eyebrow arched, "Dude, we went through that when we were kids and I'm pretty sure there's _nothing_ in there about this weird bond shit."

"Yeah, I know," Caleb answered ruefully, "He also said what we read back then was a condensed version of the Book."

"Say what?"

Caleb shook his head and shifted in his seat, doing his best to ignore the itch that was starting to get worse. "The Book's been spelled. As each new generation is born, the current members of the Covenant spell the book to hide all the references to this side of the Power. The idea is that once the eldest child turns eighteen and Ascends, the Book is returned to its full state and then this... bond thing is explained." He let his head fall back against the couch, "I haven't got round to the Book yet. I wanted to read the journal first."

"But why spell it?"

It was Tyler who answered, "Think about it, Pogue. If we'd read about this when we were 13 we would have freaked. We already have enough with the way the Power sucks our life away if we're not careful with it, I don't think we could have handled this back then."

"He's right," Caleb added.

Reid frowned and eyed the eldest carefully. Tell-tale signs gave him away; the way his nostrils flared as he struggled to keep his breathing under control, his fists clenching and releasing by his sides. Blue eyes roved over him critically, taking in the tightening of his jaw and the tense lines of his face, sliding down to settle low on the significant bulge in his pants. They hadn't even been there long and Caleb was already suffering because of it. He didn't like that their presence caused him pain; he didn't like that one bit. Reid turned and caught Tyler's steady gaze.

 _'What are you thinking?'_ Tyler asked, using the telepathic link they all shared to speak to him. Reid glanced quickly to Caleb and then back to his boyfriend, debating silently. _'Reid...'_

The warning note in the tone pulled a smirk to his lips and he decided to show him exactly what he was thinking. A low groan broke the thick silence and Tyler flushed at the images the blond sent him. _'Damn you'_ Tyler shot back with a muted glare as he tried to get his body back under control. They were surprised to hear the groan echoed by Caleb and all eyes turned to the eldest on the love seat. He'd lifted his knees up against the surge of lust that wasn't his own, the muscles in his neck straining as he pushed his head back against the leather, eyes squeezed shut.

"Cay?"

"God," The eldest forced out through his teeth, his hands caught between his legs and his chest, trying to keep himself from doing something stupid. The lust, the Power... it was almost unbearable. His blood boiled, sweat starting to form on his skin, "No offence, guys, but... _fuck_ can we hurry this up? I... I can't..."

Tyler and Reid looked at each other again, a whole conversation passing between them in the space of a second. Pogue watched, mouth open, unsure of what was going on.

"We wanted to talk to you," Tyler started, taking his time to drag his eyes away from Reid's, "About this. About..." he hesitated for half a second, glancing back to Pogue and Reid before returning to Caleb, "About us."

The eldest tried his hardest to calm down enough to look at them. He lifted his head, dark eyes glittering with his want, his need. Desire rippled around the room, affecting all of them in one way or another. Pogue sucked in a sharp breath, Tyler shivered and Reid's own lust sparked.

"What?" He asked roughly.

"W-we've talked," Tyler continued, slightly breathless, "We... you need help, ok? You need _our_ help."

A strained laugh was forced between Caleb's clenched teeth and he shook his head, letting it fall back as he brought his legs in tighter, trying to use them as a barrier against the attack on his body. He couldn't possibly mean that. “It's fi-"

"Bullshit!" Reid shot back before it could finish, glaring heatedly at him, " _This_ is not fine, Caleb. You know it, I know it, we all fuckin' know it, so quit trying to play it down ok?" With a frustrated shake of his head, Reid moved forward and didn't stop until he stood directly in front of him. "We're not kids anymore," he continued in a softer tone, "We can make our own decisions."

Reid reached out and placed both hands on Caleb's knees, putting enough pressure on his legs to force them back down until his feet hit the floor. Caleb swallowed and shook his head, reaching out to grab his wrists, his words telling him to stop but his tone aching for him to carry on, to give him more. Reid glanced towards Tyler, eyes connecting again for the briefest of seconds before returning his attention to Caleb. Knowing that Tyler was ok with what he was going to do made this easier, but a part of him needed to do this anyway, whether he approved or not. They'd been through too much to let it carry on like this.

"Re... Re, _please_ , you don't need to do this-"

But he did. Because if he didn't, Caleb was going to go crazy. And he couldn't let that happen.

So Reid straddled him before he could protest any more.

Moving fluidly, he bracketed tense thighs with his knees and settled himself on his lap, legs parting further to find a comfortable position. Hot hands immediately grabbed at his hips, grip tight enough to bruise. He didn't mind. A little pain never bothered him. Beside him, he heard Pogue's muted exclamation of shock, but under that he heard a softly indrawn breath that most definitely came from Tyler, and that told him all he needed to know.

"R-Reid..." Caleb gasped, head now lifted from the back of the couch, but his eyes still closed tightly shut. "You... back out... before it's too-"

"-Caleb," Reid sighed, lifting a hand to cup his brother's jaw, "Shut up."

The first was only meant to be quick, teasing; a brush of lips to calm him down. But before Reid knew it, his mouth was open and Caleb's tongue was sliding inside. And Reid couldn't stop himself from kissing back, his own tongue caressing Caleb's, twin moans vibrating through both of them. Passion built between them, the kiss turning desperate in no time at all. Pale fingers pushed roughly through dark hair, tongues battled furiously as they devoured one another; the slick, wet sounds mixing with the soft sighs and groans of their pleasure. The other two stared, heads spinning with the sudden change of tone and the lust that was building within.

"Jesus..." Pogue breathed, unable to tear his eyes away from the two on the loveseat. The thought of two guys together had never occurred to him before this, certainly never turned him on. But damn, even he couldn't deny the display of raw passion in front of him. Caleb's hands wandered erratically over Reid's body - stroking, squeezing, wanting - while Reid's hips rocked back and forth, moving into each caress and silently begging for more.

"Yeah," Tyler breathed, lost. If he thought the memory of Caleb slamming Reid against the wall was hot, this was _scorching_. The youngest didn't know where to look first; at the hands that were squeezing Reid's ass, the hips that rocked and rolled, or the mouths that seemed determined to swallow each other whole.

Finally they separated, but their bodies remained tightly pressed together, moving with each other like they were made specifically for that purpose. Reid's head fell back as Caleb kissed down his throat, chest heaving as he dragged in much needed oxygen. Feverish blue eyes sought out his boyfriend, a wounded moan escaping him as teeth grazed against a particularly sensitive spot on his neck. Tyler licked his lips and echoed the moan, too damn turned on to care if they heard him or not. The eldest's hands pushed his t-shirt up, barely moving away to take it off before he was back to attacking his neck again, fingers disappearing down to where Reid's jeans sat on his hips.

Pogue swallowed against a suddenly dry mouth, pupils blown wide as they flicked down to the movement of Caleb's fingers, watching them blindly unfasten and unzip his jeans. Reid moaned when his hand pushed inside and wrapped around the hardness trapped between them. His own dick throbbed and he automatically pressed the heel of his hand against the impression it made in his pants, sucking in a sharp breath and forcing himself to keep watching the two in front of him. He knew this was going to happen eventually, but didn't think it would be so soon.

" _Fuck_ ," Reid breathed, hips rocking back and forth with the motion of Caleb's hand, grabbing at the oldest any way he could just to hold on, to get closer, to be a part of him.

"Yeah," Caleb panted, biting along his neck as he let the words slip from his mouth, hand speeding up on the blond's cock. He _burned_. Everything inside him was begging for more more more, now now now. "Reid... yes..."

"Caleb... Cay, please..."

Tyler shuddered and reached back to steady himself on the end of the desk. To hear Reid say Caleb's name like that did things to him; made him hot and tingly, made him want to do anything just to get him to say it again. Sex with Reid was always good, but he was mostly the dominant one in their relationship. He'd never seen Reid like this before, so desperate that he'd whimper and beg for his release.

The room became thick with the Power. The second eldest felt trapped, unable to move from his place on the desk top, unable to avert his eyes from the erotic play before him. He told them he couldn't jump into this so fast, but right now it was like that conversation never happened. Never before had he wanted something - some _one_ \- so bad, and he knew that if he was asked, he wouldn't refuse.

As if he knew what was going on in his head, Caleb's eyes flashed at him, and Pogue realized that the eldest had been watching him from Reid's shoulder. His cheeks flushed, but it was hard to be embarrassed when pitch black eyes focused on him. Before he knew what was happening, the Power sparked and raced through him, doubling his pleasure. It hit every hot spot on his body, including those he didn't even know he had, and Pogue groaned loudly, curling forward with both hands gripping the edge of the desk, knuckles white.

" _Caleb..._ "

" _Mine!_ "

A surprised cry echoed around the room and the next thing they knew Reid was coming, coming, coming, hips bucking and body shaking with pleasure and strain and Power. The blond choked on a sob, fingers scrabbling at Caleb as the dark haired teen growled out his own orgasm, holding Reid to him as he rode out the storm. Pogue joined them a second later, orgasm tearing through him so hard that he had to cling to the desk to keep himself from falling off.

"Fuck... shit..." Reid panted, head falling forward to rest against Caleb's and breathing in each other’s air. Shaking hands slid down to the back of his neck, still tangled in damp hair. Caleb echoed the sentiment with a small 'hmm', stroking slowly over his bare back. Mouths were drawn together once more, but this time the kiss was slow and sweet, lips clinging and tongues soothing. Reid didn't even think twice about sharing this with him; it felt natural. Like it felt natural to kiss Tyler.

Tyler.

The blond teen broke the kiss with a muffled curse, pulling back enough to let him see his boyfriend properly. He'd mostly gone on instinct, they hadn't actually talked about going this far yet, so when he turned he expected to see the other boy's eyes filled with hurt, jealousy even.

But instead, the light blue eyes staring back at him were heavy with passion and yearning, his lips were swollen and red from being chewed, and his pants barely concealed the hard-on he was sporting from their little display.

"Holy shit."

The hushed exclamation drew their attention to the last member of their foursome. Pogue was still perched on the edge of the desk in virtually the same position as he was before. Only this time, fine tremors could be detected in his arms as he held the desk like it was the only thing keeping him on the ground. Long strands of hair fell around his flushed face, stirring with each breath.

"'m sorry," Caleb panted, letting his head fall back, "Shit... I told you-"

"-and as usual Reid ignored you," Tyler cut in with a smirk, voice rougher than usual, "If anyone it should be _him_ apologising."

The blond was quick to snort, relaxing into Caleb's hold, "You want me to apologise for _that_? Hell no."

"'s what I thought." Tyler turned a little and regarded the silent teen carefully, "Pogue?"

He coughed to clear his throat and nodded slowly, "Yeah, yeah I'm... I'm ok." Finally letting go of the desk, he lifted a hand and pushed it through his hair, glancing down at himself and grimacing slightly. Caleb watched him warily, feeling guilty over _not_ feeling guilty over getting him off like that. It was an automatic reaction, something he did without even thinking about it. And he'd do it again. And again and again. Reid shifted on his lap and he groaned softly, his hands holding him still. Pogue looked at them then, but only for a few seconds before he dropped his gaze again.

"Pogue-"

"No, it's ok," The other teen jumped in quickly, "No, I just... that..." He shook his head, searching for the right words, "I wasn't expecting that." He frowned and glanced up to Tyler, "And you're ok with... this?"

"If I wasn't, would I still be here? Like I said before, he needs our help." The youngest shrugged, his own cheeks colouring as he reached up to scratch the back of his neck nervously, "And it's not like I didn't enjoy it either, you know?"

Reid chuckled and leered at his boyfriend, lingering on the noticeable impression in his pants, but Pogue coughed again before he could comment.

"Look, I'm gonna go and, uh, get cleaned up."

Fear twinged in Caleb's stomach, "Pogue, wait..."

The long haired teen slid down from the desk and grimaced again as he moved, "No, really," He motioned vaguely to his lower half, finding the embarrassment a little easier to deal with now, "I'm just gonna use the bathroom. I'll be back."

Not convinced, they watched him walk out the study gingerly. Tyler sighed and returned to Caleb and Reid, who hadn't bothered to try and leave Caleb's lap. His t-shirt was still where it had been thrown a few minutes before, hanging precariously off the other arm of the couch, and his jeans were wide open, showing the black fabric of his boxers. Unconsciously he licked his lips, roving over the miles of bare skin for a second before he shook himself out of it. Reid caught the look and smirked.

"Feeling left out, baby boy?"

Tyler snorted and went to lean back against the desk, but Reid reached out to him instead. With a slight frown, Tyler took the hand, their fingers lacing, and he pulled him towards the couch. He raised an eyebrow when the blond motioned for him to take the space next to them, but he did so anyway. Caleb couldn't help but smile at his antics and he shook his head, relaxing his grip a little guiltily. Reid shot him a look and smirked, sweeping in to kiss him again, laughing against his mouth at the rush when he responded. Somehow it felt no different than kissing Tyler, but at the same time it was. New taste, new texture, new sounds - and he just couldn't get enough. His tongue teased along his bottom lip, waiting for Caleb to open up under him before moving away.

"Reid?"

He turned his attention to Tyler. Without bothering to straighten his jeans or refasten them, he squirmed back off Caleb's lap and moved to stand in front of his boyfriend. The two teens looked up at him in confusion, but he didn't care to explain himself. Instead he reached out to push Tyler back into the couch a little more and then dropped to his knees, smiling when his legs automatically opened to create space for him.

It took Tyler all of two seconds to catch on. Eyes widened comically, flicking back and forth quickly between his boyfriend, who was on his knees before him, and his brother, who was sitting _right there next to him_. That hadn't really seemed to matter before, but now...

"Hey, just because you're an exhibitionist doesn't mean I’m ok to go along with it!" Tyler protested quickly, trying to stop Reid from getting to his pants.

"You're the only one who hasn't come, baby," he purred, on a sexual high from the Power and the passion he shared with Caleb. He managed to keep Tyler's hands away long enough for him to pop the button and lower the zipper on his jeans. The youngest groaned and blushed, trying not to think too hard about what he was going to do and who he was going to do it in front of. "Can't have that, can we Caleb?"

He didn't answer, but Tyler could see him smile out the corner of his eye. Dammit! He swallowed roughly and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back to the couch just as familiar hands tugged at his underwear, pulling them down just enough to expose his aching cock. This was so so bad and wrong and- _oh god!_ A slick, agile tongue licked a strong line from root to tip, and then left him to shiver as the cool air hit the trail of saliva left behind. He heard Reid's dirty chuckle, felt his lips kiss the quivering muscles of his abs soundly while one hand wrapped around the base of his cock, and then he moved. First another kiss, but instead of leaving again, bruised lips opened and he started to take him in. Tyler sucked in a breath through clenched teeth, letting it out slowly as Reid's tongue fluttered against his shaft, sweeping up the stray droplets of pre-come before he took him in any further.

Caleb ran his tongue over his lips, practically drooling at the image they made. He didn't know which to look at first; the mechanics of the intimate act or the ecstasy that was mirrored in both boys. He'd never been a voyeur before, not really. In this instance, porn didn't count. He'd never been this close. The dark haired boy shivered and bit his lip, but kept his eyes firmly on Tyler and Reid. One of Tyler's hands pushed blindly through blond hair while the other settled on the arm rest beside him, fingers curling around the end. It wasn't hard to tell who was in charge here, and yet just moments ago he'd had Reid whimpering and begging on his own lap.

_'Touch him'_

The words whispered across his mind and Caleb had no choice but to follow direction. His hand moved of its own accord, sliding between the back of the love seat and Tyler's head, cradling his skull in his palm. The other boy moaned softly, eyes popping open immediately to look at him, breathing growing more and more erratic. Caleb stared into his eyes, reading the naked need in them, and used his other hand to tease along his throat. Fingertips traced lines and circles into his flesh before finally stopping on the throbbing pulse under the skin.

Eyes fluttered closed and Tyler tilted his head without thought, pushing further into the fingers on his pulse. He groaned as Reid took him in deeper, harder, doubling the suction and driving him crazy. He panted and whimpered as he was taken closer to the edge, surrounded by the smell and the feel of both Reid and Caleb, his body hypersensitive to the presence beside him as well as the boy between his thighs.

Pale hands pressed down on his hips firmly, keeping him from thrusting too much and choking him. Reid knew how Tyler could get sometimes, and this was definitely going to be one of those times. He glanced up quickly, pleased that Caleb had taken his advice and decided to join in. Fuck, this was way too hot; his own cock was starting to take interest again and he fought the urge to reach down and pump himself back to full hardness. No, it was Tyler's turn first. It wouldn't be long, he was already on the edge if the way he was writhing under their touch was anything to go by. With a mental smirk he doubled his efforts, taking him in as far as he could and swallowing around him.

_'C'mon, baby, come for us, wanna taste you so bad Ty, wanna see you lose it for us, c'mon...'_

How was Tyler supposed to refuse that? A short cry reverberated around the room, the youngest tensing and arching as he flooded his lover's mouth. His groan was echoed by Caleb, who couldn't stop himself from leaning in and sucking at his pulse, tonguing it, his hands holding him securely and somehow keeping him together even as he was flying apart. Pleasure and Power coursed through his veins, setting his blood alight with something he couldn't name.

"Fuckfuck _fuck!_ " He cursed, reaching out for Caleb as well as Reid while his body pulsed and gave the blond every last drop of come he had in him. Unable to swallow it all without choking, Reid pulled back with a disappointed groan, his hand finishing the job his mouth had started.

The teenager floated in a haze of pleasure, falling boneless back to the couch. He felt dazed and wrung out and sensitive to every touch and kiss that was pressed to his skin, shivering when he realized two pairs of lips instead of one caressed his neck.

"Baby? You ok?"

The blond's rough voice reached his ears and he hummed softly in answer, eyes fluttering open again and refocusing on cool blue. Reid laughed at him and kissed him, sharing the slightly bitter taste of himself with him, and then Caleb, leaving the youngest to watch as they made out once more.

"Are you sure about this?" Caleb murmured breathlessly when they parted, addressing both of them, still half fearing they'd change their minds and back out. "You don't ha-"

It was Tyler that stopped him this time, his own mouth taking up where Reid's had left off. In his mind, two voices gave him his answer in unison.

_'Shut up, Caleb'_


	13. Chapter 13

The kitchen was mostly silent, save for the quiet ticking of the clock on the far wall. The bottle of beer between his hands had long since lost its chill. Pogue barely noticed. He was lost in his own mind, replaying the scene over and over again, remembering how he felt when the Power rushed through him. He shuddered and set the bottle to his lips. He'd never felt anything like that. It was intense, almost too much, almost like suffocating, but at the same time it was liberating. _Right_.

Pogue Parry had always known where he stood with himself. He was into swimming, into motorcycles, and _definitely_ into women. He liked the way they looked, the way their lush curves pressed into him, the way their hair smelled. It was stupid and a little superficial, but one of the things that had attracted him to Kate was the way the denim of her jeans moulded to her ass. He loved the contrast of their skin, the way she told him exactly what she wanted and how she wanted it. Pogue's eyes closed as he remembered what it was like watching her sink down onto his cock, the feel of her slick heat gripping him tightly and the weight of her breasts in his palm, rubbing hard nipples between rough fingers. Kate loved that; always begged him to touch her more, to use his fingers to get her off.

Damn. He rubbed his hand tiredly over his face and shifted a little uncomfortably on his stool. At least he didn't have to worry about _that_.

"Hey."

Pogue glanced up, "Hey."

Caleb cautiously moved into the kitchen, his gaze fixed on his brother's tense form. The long haired male dropped his eyes back to the granite surface of the breakfast bar and pointedly ignored the way his cock twitched in his pants. Luckily he'd found some clean underwear and a pair of his old sweatpants that had been left after he'd crashed one night. He didn't want to go through the hassle of finding more clean clothes.

"You ok?"

Pogue nodded slowly, keeping his eyes low as he pulled on the beer again, "Yeah. You?"

"Yeah," Caleb answered automatically. Pogue arched an eyebrow and finally looked at him.

"Really?"

The corner of his mouth lifted in a half smile as he perched on the stool opposite his best friend, "Really."

The silence between them was awkward, neither knowing how to say their feelings out loud. After a few minutes, Caleb gave in with an explosive sigh. He put both elbows on the table and pushed his hands through his short hair, tousling it more than usual.

"I want to say I'm sorry," He murmured slowly, making sure Pogue heard every word, "But I'm not."

Shivers tripped down his spine. The other teen swallowed roughly, head bent forward slightly, eyes closed. This was what confused him. In all the time he'd known Caleb, not once had he looked at him as anything more than a friend. His _best_ friend, the guy he'd always relied on, always counted on to have his back. His brother. But now, after seeing what he needed, _feeling_ what Caleb wanted from them... it was hard to see him in the same light. It was hard for his body not to respond to him like it would to Kate.

His voice was hoarse when he asked, "What does it feel like?"

The older teen thought for a moment, allowing him the change of subject, "It's like an itch, and no matter how much you scratch it doesn't go away."

"And now?"

"It's still there, I can still feel it. But it's like... like a distant hum, you know? Like static on a radio with the volume turned down." He shook his head and frowned, "The stronger the feeling is, the louder the static, until it’s so loud it drowns everything else out and I'm so hard that it's unbearable. Jerking off barely helps. The only thing that cures it is being with one of you. Or, all of you." He looked up at his friend, "And that's why I'm not sorry about what happened."

Images of Reid and Caleb rutting against each other filled his mind, the sounds of their frantic pleasure echoing through him, blending and contrasting with the small desperate whines pulled from Tyler as the blond went down on him. He hadn't seen much; walking in just when Caleb's fingers drifted along the youngest's strained throat muscles, pressing against his pulse point and drinking him hungrily with his eyes, and then walking back out, retreating downstairs to think.

"I... I'm not either," he said eventually, forcing the words past the lump in his throat.

Caleb watched him carefully, "Really?"

He shook his head, "I'm not sorry. It was, uh, good." The eldest tried hard not to smirk at the pink in his friend's cheeks. "But I need some time with this."

"I know."

"Do you?" Pogue looked up then and Caleb was startled by the intensity of the hazel eyes, "I can't be like Reid and Ty. I can't just go with it like they can. I'm not saying I don't want to help you, because I do. Man, I would do anything for you. But this..." He swallowed, "This changes the way I think, the way I look at things, who I _am_. And right now, I'm not so comfortable with that."

The words stung, but he tried not to let it show. Caleb understood. He didn't want to pressure them into anything and he knew Pogue needed time to work through some stuff, but at the same time a part of Caleb wanted to ignore the plea outright. A part of him wanted to drag Pogue to bed and show him that there really wasn't anything to work out, that his place was with them and them alone.

"Ok?"

The eldest looked up, suddenly aware that he'd been lost in his own thoughts. He did his best to push away the need to just take him and nodded. Pogue stared at him, eyes narrowing a little, like he was trying to figure something out.

"You know," he said slowly, "For a straight guy who had a girlfriend up until two months ago, you're reacting really freakin' well to the whole 'having sex with guys' thing."

Now it was Caleb who was avoiding Pogue's eyes, squirming and laughing nervously, "Yeah, about that..."

"Fuck you," Pogue laughed, reeling back in shock, "You're not serious."

He shrugged awkwardly, "It's not something that ever came up."

"Dude, all the times we've talked about girls and sex-"

"Oh yeah, right, because telling you I looked at guys the same way I looked at girls would have gone over _so_ well then," Caleb shot back in defence. "Besides, I was never completely sure if I was officially Bi or not, you know? I've never been with a guy before." He paused, "Until tonight."

Pogue laughed again, but the sound was equal parts humour, shock and 'please shoot me'. Caleb watched as he rubbed his eyes and shook his head, and then finished off the last of his beer.

"You sure know how to drop bombs on us, man," he muttered, twisting and hopping down the short way to the floor. Caleb shrugged again, feeling guilt stab at him again, mixed with a healthy dose of fear that Pogue was never going to come around to the idea of the four of them like this. He ruthlessly stomped on it before he could dwell on it any more. The other teen sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "I'm gonna head back to the dorms," he said quietly, "You skipping tomorrow?"

"I don't know," he answered truthfully, "I'll try to be there. I know the Provost is getting tetchy about me missing so many classes lately. He'll want a reason, and I can't really tell him it's because I can't be around you guys without wanting to jump you."

Pogue snorted, "Yeah, can you imagine his face?"

The eldest Son smiled; yes, he could imagine and it wasn't pretty. Caleb didn't move from his seat as Pogue navigated the kitchen but he was hyper aware of the other boy's movements, almost like he was attuned to him on another level.

"We're ok, right?"

The question stopped Pogue in his tracks, the fear in Caleb's usually strong voice keeping him in place. If there was anything he didn't like, it was hearing that vulnerability in his brother.

"We're good, Caleb," he replied softly, half turning his head to look at him. Hazel eyes connected with deep brown, "We're good."

The moment was broken by the distant chime of the grandfather clock in the hallway. Caleb nodded once, Pogue answering in kind, and then the biker finally left. He stayed frozen in the same position, listening to clock as it struck the hour. After the eighth chime it stopped, and Caleb moved at long last, sliding forward and bending over until his forehead pressed against the cold polished granite.

When did things get so complicated?

\--------

When Caleb didn't return, Tyler went looking for him. After he'd recovered from his post orgasmic haze, the eldest had left them to go check on Pogue and Reid had taken advantage of being alone with him. While Caleb had been occupied with keeping Pogue from freaking out too much, Reid had amused himself with trying to make Tyler scream. A hot flush warmed his cheeks at the thought of what he and Reid had done not long ago on the large mahogany desk in the Study. The blond hadn't succeeded, but damn, it had been so close. Tyler absently reached up and brushed the pad of his thumb across his lower lip, feeling the slight soreness there from where his teeth sank down into the flesh. _Damn_.

Tyler had just got to the top of the stairs when he saw the brother in question at the bottom, making his way up.

"Hey," he said softly, watching him climb the stairs, "How'd it go?"

Caleb sighed, "He's ok; I think he's starting to handle it better. He's just gotta get used to the idea, I guess." He gave Tyler a wan smile and shrugged as he got to the landing, "Where's Reid?"

"Shower," he answered, "Expect him to raid your closet afterwards."

He snorted, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." He eyed him cautiously, "How're you?"

Caleb sighed softly and headed towards his room, Tyler trailing behind him, "I'm ok. It's easier now after..."

The other boy flushed and nodded to the unfinished sentence. He looked more relaxed than they'd seen him in weeks; the muscles in his shoulders and back looser, less strained. Tyler watched him closely as they entered the large bedroom, his mind wandering back over the last few hours. He'd watched his boyfriend dry-hump his brother, one of his best friends come in his pants, and then he'd topped the evening off by letting his boyfriend give him a blowjob in front of said brother. Wow. You really couldn't make this shit up.

Shaking his head at his own thoughts, Tyler watched as Caleb moved around the room. The older boy reached up and back, grabbing his shirt and pulling it over his head, making his already mused black hair stick up even more. Muscles bunched and flexed under naturally golden skin, the simple cotton t-shirt sliding off his arms into his hands, and then he threw the material carelessly towards the pile of laundry in the corner. A strange kind of heat coasted through him, his skin tingling lightly, settling low down in his core as he watched the oldest member of their group move. It took Tyler a few moments to realize what it was; he'd felt that before, but stronger, more potent, more insistent.

He felt that when he looked at Reid.

It didn't take much for Caleb to notice the shift in the atmosphere. He turned just as Tyler's expression changed from calm and teasing to one of harsh concentration, and he came to a stop by the edge of his bed. Light blue eyes regarded him closely; Tyler didn't seem aware that Caleb had seen him yet.

"Ty?"

His answering hum was automatic, but he hadn't really heard him. His gaze moved from the hollow of his throat to the space between his collar bones, down through his pecs, and over the ridges of his abs. He stopped on his hip bone, eyeing the light and shadow in the dip just as his skin disappeared into his pants. Tyler envisioned himself running his tongue along the ridge, nibbling at the bone gently and sucking at the skin, desperate to know what he tasted like there. He heard echoes of Caleb's wounded moans fill his ears, could almost feel his skin shiver under his hands.

"Ty."

But he wasn't supposed to be having these thoughts about Caleb. These were supposed to be for Reid; his _boyfriend_. The guy he knew he loved, the guy that knew him inside out, the guy that knew his strengths and weaknesses like the back of his hand. The guy that had been there through everything. So why was he thinking about pushing Caleb to the bed and licking, biting, sucking every available inch of skin on his body?

"Hey."

When Tyler refocused, he realized that Caleb had taken a step towards him, worry evident in his eyes. He swallowed roughly, feet carrying him forward of their own accord and not stopping until he was standing right in front of him. They stared at each other in silence, the younger boy's eyes dropping down to trace the outline of full lips. He went to say something, then hesitated.

"Ty?" Caleb's voice was hushed, falling soft between them. Tyler shivered.

"I..." _I want to kiss you, I want to figure out what the hell this is, I want Reid but I want you too and I don't know why, but most of all - right now - I want to kiss you._ But trying to put these thoughts into actual words was made difficult by Caleb's body heat radiating from him and his scent wrapping around him. Absently, Tyler shook his head, moved forward that extra inch and brushed his mouth across Caleb's; shy, searching.

Heat blossomed in the Caleb's body, but gone was the urgency of earlier and in its place was a slow burning passion, a sweet ache in his chest. A soft gasp echoed between them, but he wasn't sure if it was his or Tyler's, but it didn't seem to matter to either of them. Caleb closed the barely there distance between their bodies, curled his hand gently around the nape of Tyler's neck, and slowly started to deepen the kiss. The tip of his tongue pressed gently against bruised lips, licking softly until the younger boy let him in, responded in kind, telling him without words that he could take what he needed.

He was aware of how different this was to the last time. When he'd trapped Tyler against the wall two weeks ago, the need to get off had been so desperate that for the frantic moments they were rutting against each other, Caleb couldn't think of anything other than reaching his peak. He would have done anything to take the edge off, to just get rid of the itch that had been plaguing him for days on end. But here, standing in the middle of his bedroom with the weight of Tyler against him and his taste on his tongue, he realized that this... bond... was so much more than sexual release. It was friendship and desire and warmth and passion. It was trust and pleasure and fire.

In short, it was love.

And with that realization came another.

Caleb knew now, without a shadow of a doubt, that he wouldn't be able to live without them in his life. He would go through hell to keep them safe, to keep them with him for as long as possible.

Warm, gentle hands drifted up his bare sides, palms flat as they moved around towards his back, and all the while Tyler kept kissing him, letting his tongue play in their shared heat, falling headlong into something he couldn't even name. The Power shifted around them, almost cocooning them and tucking them away from the rest of the world, and Tyler's soft moan was muted by Caleb's mouth as his own Power answered Caleb's call. Shivers crawled over his skin, top to bottom, and Caleb automatically tightened his arms around his slim waist, pulling him closer to his own body heat.

They didn't go far when they finally parted to breathe, mouths separating by a scant few inches. Tyler ran his tongue over his top lip absently, tasting Caleb there and shivering. The older teen smiled softly, lips drifting closer and evading slowly, and Tyler responded to the tease, trying to follow and make contact.

"Caleb..." His name rolled off his tongue, a breathy sigh of desire that said everything and nothing.

Lips brushed lips again, but he didn't deepen the kiss to anything more. Something told him that they had company; an extra sense that went beyond description and just existed. A sense that told him Tyler was in his arms, that he was right to be there and that he wanted this. But it also told him that Reid was watching them from the doorway, as much confused and scared as he was turned on by watching him make out with his boyfriend.

 _'I won’t take him from you.'_ Caleb glanced his way and caught the blond's slight flinch, telling him he'd guessed the reason behind his conflict correctly, _'He loves you.'_

There was silence for a few moments before Reid answered quietly, "I know."

Guilt burned in the pit of Tyler's stomach, shame flooding through him hard and fast. He hadn't even thought of Reid while he'd been kissing Caleb. What kind of boyfriend did that make him? Biting his lower lip and taking the twinge of pain as a punishment, he turned his head slowly to meet Reid's level gaze, mentally groping for something so say that wasn't _I'm sorry for making out with Caleb and liking it_. Sure, they'd kissed before when he was trying to shut him up, but that had been when Reid was there to watch. To approve. To _let_ him.

But the third teenager just shook his head and moved to join them, reaching out and placing a warm hand on the back of Tyler's shoulder.

"It's ok," he said with a small shrug and a comforting smile, "Really."

Caleb brushed a kiss to Tyler's temple and unwound his arms from his waist, stepping back to give them all some breathing space. Tyler mourned the loss of his heat briefly and rubbed his arm to keep away the chill, causing Reid to step closer to him.

"Do you need us to stay?" He asked over Tyler's shoulder, eyeing him carefully to see if he was ok.

"No, I'm fine." He grinned bashfully when both of them gave him a look that clearly said they'd heard that before. "Really, I'm good. It's not as bad as before."

"But it's not gone."

He hesitated before he answered, "No. I can still feel it, but it's nothing I can't handle now." They stared at him for a long few moments before taking his word for it. "You should go. I'll be fine."

The two eventually left, but not without making Caleb promise to call them if he needed anything. He saw them out and snorted when he heard Reid mutter something about being his brother's booty call and how fucked up it all was, but the smirk on his mouth told another story. Given the weirdness of the situation, they could have easily turned around and said they wanted nothing to do with it. But they hadn’t and the eldest Son was grateful to have their support in this.

But as he closed the door and made his way back to his room, he couldn't help thinking of Pogue and the look on his face when he came.

_Two down, one to go._


	14. Chapter 14

It took Pogue until Friday to realize what was going on. Fourth period English, to be exact; the only class apart from Swim practice they had together. When Pogue came to his conclusion he very nearly choked on his own spit from the shock.

Later he'd tell himself that he'd always known. It was the looks that made him suspicious. Caleb had returned to classes looking better that he'd seen him in weeks. Still tired, but the dark bruises under his eyes were less pronounced now. Pogue felt relieved that they were finally getting the old Caleb back. But that's where it got complicated. Because it wasn't the old Caleb. This Caleb, when he wasn't concentrating on his textbook, was trading looks with Reid and Tyler. And not his usual "I disapprove" look or "Back off and we'll talk about this later" look that was usually reserved for Reid when he was acting out. This was... intimate. Searching, maybe? A deep and penetrating stare that seemed to say everything and nothing at all.

Then there were the smiles. Pogue caught them a few times - a slight quirk of the lips; barely there, lightning quick - and he'd look away, only to glance up again a few seconds later and realize he was alone; all three of his brothers disappearing without a trace.

They were at it again in English Lit. So far he'd counted four times where Caleb had glanced up from his book, in search of the youngest two. It was the fifth time, when Pogue rolled his eyes and looked up just in time to watch Reid run his tongue over his lips seductively, when he finally got a clue.

" _Shit!_ "

Every single head in the class turned at the hissed curse, leaving Pogue to stare, dumbstruck, at Caleb. The eldest frowned at his outburst, returning Pogue's look with one of his own.

"Mr Parry?"

He started, glancing towards the front of the lecture hall where the Professor stared at him disapprovingly over the rims of his glasses. Swallowing, he started to make an apology, but the shrill ring of the bell cut in before he could speak, signalling the end of class. As one the class moved, stuffing papers and books into bags and hurriedly filing out of the lecture hall, ignoring their Professor as he shouted out that night's homework. His outburst forgotten, Pogue gathered his stuff and followed suit, doing his very best to ignore Caleb's calls, verbal and telepathic, for him to wait up.

Battling his way through the crowded hallway, Pogue managed to finally get out onto the grounds behind the school, breathing a sigh that was thinly disguised relief. He didn't stop until the noise of the school became a low level hum, dropping his bag to the grass to run both hands through his hair in frustration. Dammit, he'd been through this already.

 _No, you haven't,_ the voice in the back of his head told him meanly, _you've ignored it. It's called denial - you didn't think about it because you didn't **want** to._

Pogue shook his head and eventually fell down on the grass beside his bag, but even though he tried to deny the taunt, he found that he couldn't. He didn't want to think about _how_ Caleb was able to sit in class like nothing was going on, he was just happy that he was there at all. The looks, the smiles, the disappearing acts - it really only came to one conclusion and he should have seen it before today.

But if he was being really honest with himself, that wasn't even the main problem. _Truth hurts, Parry. Just admit it and start dealing already_. Pogue closed his eyes and let his head drop forward, as though admitting the truth really did hurt him. Realizing that Reid and Tyler were helping Caleb like that was a shock.

What freaked him out _more_ was the burning jealousy that flashed through him when he caught on. In the space of a few seconds, Pogue had gone from blissfully ignorant to completely aware of everything, and he wasn't sure if he liked it. Knowing it was going on was one thing, realizing you want to be a part of it is another.

 _But isn't that what this is all about? The four of you are being drawn together, you're going to want them eventually_.

"Not until Ascending," he muttered in answer to himself, "Fuck."

"You know that's the first sign of madness."

Pogue jumped, head whipping around in the direction of the voice. Reid stood off to his left, a subdued version of his usual smirk pulling at his lips. Pogue's stomach twisted at the sight of him, "What?"

"Talking to yourself," he repeated, moving forward until he was standing right next to him, "'s first sign of madness."

The older teen turned away, staring out in front of him, "Don't you have a class now?"

Reid shrugged and turned, lowering himself to the ground next to Pogue and stretching his legs out in front of him, "Whatever." Pogue snorted. "What's up?"

"What d'ya mean?" He said rather than asked, avoiding the question.

The blond sighed and looked at him askance, "Ok, if you want to play it that way - you've figured out that me and Tyler are fooling around with Caleb." Pogue couldn't hide his flinch at the bold statement and Reid rolled his eyes, "I thought you were ok with this."

"I am-"

"So why are you running again?"

"Fuck you, Reid," Pogue growled, "I'm not running."

"So what's this? Why bolt from class when you figured it out?" Pogue stayed silent. "You gonna answer me Pogue or are you just gonna be a moody bitch all freakin' day?"

The long haired teen sighed in irritation and finally spoke, "I'm not like you and Tyler, ok? I can't just... accept this. I'm fucked up enough as it is; this is just screwing with me in ways that I can't even begin to go into. I'm trying to deal but it's fucking hard."

Reid watched him silently. Deep frown lines creased his forehead, eyebrows drawn together over troubled hazel eyes, body tense and hunched over like he was trying to protect himself. Skilled fingers played with random blades of grass beside him, nervous energy finding a suitable outlet, while the slight breeze blew at his hair and his shirt. The blond frowned and regarded him closely.

"There's something else," He said slowly, his suspicious confirmed when Pogue's fingers snapped the fragile blade of grass they were playing with, "C'mon, Parry, quit holding out on me. I'm trying to help, moron. How often does that happen?"

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly at Reid's attempt at humour, but the smile disappeared just as quickly as it came and Pogue made no move to tell him the whole truth. Reid waited. And waited. And waited, until finally Pogue's lips parted to mumble his answer to the ground. He rolled his eyes and made a show of cupping a hand behind his ear, "Speak up, Princess."

The look Pogue cut him told him he was less than amused, but Reid didn't give up and the other teen found himself repeating his confession properly.

"I was... I was jealous, ok?"

Reid blinked, "You were jealous," he said again, slower this time. He paused, "Of what?"

Large hands buried themselves in long brown hair again and Pogue sighed, "Fuck do I have to spell it out? I was jealous because I'm left out. Because I-" he stopped and swallowed before carrying on, "Because for a split second I wanted you in a way that I've never wanted you before."

Both teens were silent for a while. "That's why I'm... that's why," he continued, "Jesus, Reid, I'm straight, I have a _girlfriend_ \- I think I'm allowed to freak out when I start wanting to kiss another guy!"

Reid's eyebrows lifted. Slowly, he hedged, "You... wanted to kiss me?"

His cheeks burned and Pogue just shrugged in response, wishing he could take the words back. He tensed when Reid shifted next to him, moving closer, close enough so that Pogue could feel his body heat along his exposed skin.

"Wanna practice?"

A shiver raced down his spine at the low seductive voice and Pogue shot up before he did something stupid, like punch him in the fucking face. Or actually make good on the suggestion.

"Fuck you!" He barked, backing up a few paces and glaring at Reid as the blond snickered and fell back to the grass, blue eyes shifting between amused and something he couldn't identify.

"Shit, calm down, man. I'm only messing with you." Reid sighed and hauled himself up, brushing the grass from his pants as he stepped towards Pogue. The older boy let him approach, eyeing him warily, and Reid just snorted and clapped him on the shoulder, levelling him with a serious gaze, "Seriously man. I know how you feel."

Pogue snorted, unconvinced, "Yeah?"

"Dude, Tyler's the first and only guy I'd ever been with, until Caleb," He confessed, dropping his hand and slipping them into his pockets like an embarrassed school boy, "It's not like it was easy for me figuring out that I liked him a whole lot more than a friend or a brother. So yeah, I know what it's like."

Something inside Pogue eased at those words. Knowing that he wasn't the only one to go through this was a relief, but it was still hard. Where did he stand now? Would he be ok with being with them like that? Hell, Caleb already made him come in his pants. _But he didn't touch you. That was purely the Power._ So how would he react if Caleb - or Reid or Tyler - touched him, got him off with their hands and mouths, lips and teeth and tongue. Pogue shivered again at the thought.

They were already walking back towards school when Reid smirked and moved marginally closer to him, "You know, if you need any help figuring things out..." Pogue caught the dramatic leer that accompanied the words and reached out to push him, sending the blond stumbling sideways. Reid laughed and steadied himself, sobering up a little before continuing, "I know it’s weird and fucked up, but you don't need to keep running from it; from us. We're in this together, you know?"

His heart thumped sweetly in his chest and Pogue ducked his head and hid his smile behind his hair, "I know. Thanks, man."

"And step one of 'How to ruin Pogue Parry's reputation' is complete," Reid quipped.

"Fuck you, Garwin."

"Eh," The blond smirked and winked at him before walking ahead, "Maybe later."

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Nicky's was crammed full of the usual Friday night revellers. The bar was barely visible through the crowd gathered around it - all wanting drinks and food to keep them going - and the jukebox in the corner was playing some classic rock, enticing the patrons milling around the dance floor to sway to the music. Pogue perched on a spare bar stool that stood by the pool tables, the noise of the people and the music becoming little more than background buzz as he picked through his own thoughts.

"Earth to Parry, come in Parry."

He blinked - the scratched and stained wood edge of the table coming sharply back into focus - and he glanced up to see a pair of amused green eyes staring at him from across the pool table. Pogue heaved a tired sigh and pushed off the stool, eyeing the balls as he tried to gauge the game. He was losing. Miserably.

"Sorry, man," he apologized weakly, "Just got a lot on my mind at the moment."

"Ah." Pogue frowned at the tone in Danny's voice, watching him line up his shot.

"Ah? What d’you mean 'Ah'?"

Danny snorted, "Well that tone can only mean one thing." He took the shot, cue connecting firmly with the ball and sending it on its way. Unfortunately for Danny, it bounced off the side. Pogue arched his eyebrow, watching his friend as he straightened up and ran a hand over his shaven head, waiting for the rest.

"What?" He prompted.

"Women," Danny said as though the answer held the secret to the Universe.

It was Pogue's turn to snort; shaking his head a little as he glanced over the table for the perfect shot. Danny Henderson was a good guy; they worked together in Auto Mechanics and he was pretty decent outside of class, someone that Pogue counted as a friend. But he could never tell him, or anyone else, what was really going on inside his head.

"Nah, man," he said as he moved around the table to take his shot, "Me and Kate are cool." _At the moment_ , he thought to himself, wincing as he thought of the close calls they'd had throughout the time they'd been dating.

There was a pause before Danny answered back with an unconvinced, "Really?"

Turning his attention to the ball for a few seconds, Pogue carefully aimed his own pool cue, zeroed in on the right spot, and struck the ball firmly, watching as it rolled happily into the left corner pocket. "Yeah, Really." He glanced up quickly, noting the strange look on his friend's face before turning back to the game.

"Then why is she smooching up to Abbott?"

Pogue paused, frowned, and scanned the bar. Sure enough, there was Kate; stood at the foosball table on the other side of the bar, leaning against it with one hip while she talked to none other than Aaron Abbott himself. She was standing entirely too close for someone who thought he was a prick, the smile too friendly and her stance too... obvious.

"Aw, Jesus..." he muttered in disgust, eyes lingering on them for a few more seconds before turning back to take his second shot.

"Sorry dude."

Pogue shrugged at the sympathy in his tone, struck the ball once more, and made a face when it missed its intended pocket by inches. When he stood he found Danny staring hard at him, head tilted slightly to the side as if there was something he couldn't figure out. It unnerved him. "What?"

"I'm surprised it’s not working," he said slowly, "The trying to make you jealous thing."

Now he thought about it, he was too. It wasn't as if Kate had never done anything like that before; it was a thing of hers. If she felt he wasn’t paying enough attention to her she flirted with other people in the hopes that he'd get all possessive and drag her back to his dorm to fuck her brains out. In all honesty, it usually worked. Pogue was the possessive kind of guy. But right now? Dark eyes flicked over in his direction so briefly that he barely caught it, and Pogue suddenly realized that he didn't care as much as he should. Right now all he could feel was annoyance simmering under his skin, and that wasn't because he was jealous - it was because he realized just how childish she was being.

_Caleb would never do that to you._

That's what it all came back to, wasn't it? Caleb. His brothers. This whole weird situation. But the devil on his shoulder was right - Caleb _wouldn't_ do that to him. The eldest would rather carve out his own heart than play mind games to keep him interested or piss him off. That was Reid's arena. And Tyler wouldn't even think of it as an option.

"Me too," he answered, a little worried over how he wasn't hurting over it.

"You know what that means, right?"

"Danny-"

"I'm just sayin', right? Maybe it's time to trade her up for a newer model." Pogue gave him a look and he held his hands up in defence, but before he could comment any further, his cell started ringing. He grinned, "Saved by the bell, huh?"

Pogue snorted and pulled the vibrating device from his pocket. Instinctively his eyes searched out Kate again. He met dark eyes head on and Pogue had no doubt about what she was trying to do. Deliberately, she moved herself closer to Aaron, all but wrapping herself around him and humping his leg, making her intentions clear. Pogue just arched an eyebrow and answered the call.

"Hello?" The noise in the bar drowned out the voice on the other end and he quickly glanced down at the caller ID to check who it was before returning the phone to his ear, "Caleb? Hang on, I can't hear you."

He threw a parting wave to Danny and weaved through the crowd to get to the exit, cutting one last quick glance to his left. Without missing a beat, Kate smirked and wrapped herself around Abbot, sliding her mouth dramatically across his. Pogue stared, face twisting in disgust as the dark skinned girl made a show of closing her eyes and teasing him with her tongue, fingers winding in brunet curls with purpose.

" _Pogue?_ "

Caleb's voice cut through his dislike and he answered with a quick "hang on" while he turned away from the deliberate attempt to enrage him and left the bar. Freezing cold air hit him with the force of a speeding train, pulling a sharp gasp from him in reaction. Chills raced across his skin, goosebumps rising on bare arms, and Pogue remembered with regret that he'd left his jacket in the bar.

"Hey," he said, shoving his other hand in the pocket of his jeans, "Sorry, Nicky's is loud tonight. What's up?"

" _Nothing, I just wondered where you were._ " Pogue frowned a little at his reply, " _You weren't answering at home so..._ "

His lips twitched into a smile as he joked, "You keeping tabs on me now, Cay?"

" _Maybe?_ " The grin in his voice was undeniable, and Pogue had to wonder if the eldest was unconsciously flirting with him. " _I just wanted to see if you wanted to come over. Watch a movie, you know? Like old times_."

He was just about to answer when a cry of "what the _hell_ , Pogue?" broke into the cold evening. The long-haired teen turned just as Kate stomped up to him, her familiar pissed-off look firmly in place. With an irritated sigh he suffered her glare and told Caleb he'd call him back.

"What the hell?" She repeated, "What's up with you?"

Incredulous, Pogue laughed, both eyebrows lifting, "What's up with _me_? I'm not the one tongue-fucking Abbott here."

Kate huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, "You know I don't mean it."

He stared her down and calmly told her, "That's not the point here, Kate."

"I know that, asshole, but at least he pays attention to me!" The dark skinned girl shot back.

Pogue sighed and pushed his hands through his hair, "Don't start this again."

"You've barely spent any time with me since I got out of hospital," she said accusingly.

"I spent time with you last weekend."

"And then you ran because Tyler called. What was up with him anyway?" When Pogue didn't answer she made a frustrated sound, "See? You don't tell me _anything_."

He shook his head. There were always some things he couldn't explain to Kate, mostly anything to do with his family and their shady past, and she accepted that to start with, but lately Pogue had got the feeling that she was getting pissed that he was holding back from her. Even before Chase appeared and things went to Hell in a handbasket. Blowing out an explosive breath, Pogue backed up a step.

"I'm not going to do this right now."

As he turned to leave, Kate reached out and curled one hand around a strong bicep, pulling him back sharply and swinging him around, her eyes flashing in fury, "Don't walk away from me, Pogue, we're not finished."

"Yeah, we are!" He growled back, wrenching his arm free and sending her stumbling back. It was only when she'd regained her balance and stared at him that he realized what had been said. But instead of feeling shock and regret at the words, he actually felt something within him settle. He could see that Kate was waiting for him to take it back, but he found he didn't want to. Calming down a little, he looked her dead in the eye and said in a clear growl, "We're finished."

She blinked, "What?" Shock started to settle in, making her laugh nervously, "Wait... you can't be serious."

Pogue didn't respond as he turned away again, giving a subtle nod towards Danny, who was waiting by the main entrance to the bar, a respectful distance away. He felt the daggers she was staring into his back with every single step, his skin burning with her fury, but he couldn't find it within him to turn back. Although it wasn't what he'd expected to happen tonight, hindsight told him that it had been a long time coming. They were never really a good fit for anything long-term.

"Fine, I'm sure Aaron wouldn't mind taking me home tonight. He was pretty pissed that I turned him down before to come after you."

The harsh tone in her words carried in the wind, making the early winter chill even colder for a few seconds, but he didn't give her the satisfaction of stopping. It wasn't until he got to Danny's truck that he turned, unable to help the weary snort as Kate's mouth twisted in disgust at her own words, "Hope you two have fun, then." And before she could reply, Pogue hopped in the truck and didn't once look back as Danny peeled out of the parking lot.

But all his bravado left as soon as Nicky's was in the rear view, and Pogue slouched down in his seat with one arm propped up on the door, eyes glazing as he retreated into his head. Danny seemed to sense that he needed some time to think, so he kept his mouth shut, and Pogue was grateful for that. Especially since he needed to figure out what the fuck just happened. He was pretty sure that he and Kate were now over for good; just like he was pretty sure that he didn't actually mind. Their relationship was a strange one; he liked her, and she was definitely fun and hot and sexy.

But she also had a side that he didn't like. The side that pushed his buttons in all the wrong ways, the side that played devious games to keep him interested and force his hand. He wasn't going to lie, it _did_ hurt. But not as much as it probably should have done. It was a niggling, sad kind of pain; mourning the fun times they shared as friends before they got together.

Pogue couldn't help thinking, though, as the lights and road and the scenery blurred into one, that now he and Kate were done, what would happen to this... _thing_... with Caleb, Reid and Tyler. Would he want it now? Would he find the courage to try?

"She lied."

Blinking slowly as the voice interrupted his thoughts, Pogue lifted his head and turned to boy next to him. "What?"

"She lied," he repeated, green eyes flicking to meet his for a brief second before fixing on the road again, "She didn't turn Abbott down. He turned _her_ down." Pogue's eyebrow lifted and Danny snorted out a laugh, shaking his head a little as he turned into the next street, "I know right? Sounds unbelievable, but its true man. Dude was more than happy to shove his tongue down her throat, but as soon as she made it clear that she wanted more, he told her to get off and, I quote, _'I'm not gonna fuck you just to piss him off, find someone else to whore out to'_."

The second Son laughed softly, "So Abbott has morals after all."

"Still a dick, though."

"True enough."

The truck slowed as they arrived at the dorms and Pogue let himself out, "Thanks for the ride."

"Anytime, man," Danny replied, a genuine smile curving his mouth, "Swing by the shop soon, k? Your Bike's almost ready. Dad's just gotta touch up the body work and it's all done."

Pogue's grin matched his friends. Danny’s family owned a garage in the town which was Pogue’s favourite place after Nicky’s, "Sweet. I'll stop by next week."

"Cool. See ya, man!"

He watched Danny pull out and head home before he finally trudged up to his dorm room. He only had one more night here and then he too would be going home for the holidays. Thanksgiving week was upon them, which meant that school would be closed and he'd be stuck with his Mother for a week, having to suffer through her bitter rants. Not to mention seeing more of his brothers.

With a sigh, Pogue fired off a quick text message to Caleb ( _Shit's gone down, maybe see you tomorrow?_ ) and crawled into bed, all but hiding under the blankets like a child scared of the monster in his closet. If he made it to the end of the week without killing himself or anyone else, then he deserved a medal.


	15. Chapter 15

"Knock knock."

The familiar tingle of Power tripping down his spine alerted him to Tyler's presence before he spoke, but Caleb only looked up when the youngest announced himself, lips stretching into a warm smile at the sight of him standing in the open doorway set into the rock.

"Hey, man, you ok?"

Tyler moved to join him, nodding, "Yeah, I'm good." Blue eyes flicked over the large tome on his lap, eyebrow lifting as he took in the size of it and mentally compared it to the last time he'd seen it, "Reading?"

Caleb snorted, "If you can call it that. I still have trouble translating this shit into modern English." He sighed explosively and ran a hand through his thick hair, glancing back down at the Book of Damnation. He didn't know how long he'd been down here, hidden away in the one of the rooms set back from the main Circle room with the dusty old Book; time meant nothing underground. "I managed to find some stuff that backs up what dad said in the letter; you know, about the Power?"

Tyler sat down next to his brother, eyes scanning the yellowing pages covered in faded black ink. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. As far as I can make out, the Power links us. Each of our shares is a part of a whole; take one of us out of the equation and it will eventually kill us all. We pretty much need each other to survive."

"Shit," Tyler breathed, leaning into Caleb a little more to look across the pages. He frowned, "But what about Chase? He was a part of this too, even if he _was_ insane."

The earthy scent of Tyler filled his head for a moment, pulling him away from his train of thought. Caleb swallowed, idly wondering if he smelled like that everywhere before Tyler's voice prompted for an answer.

"Er.. Chase... yeah, I don't really know either." He flailed for a moment before he managed to get back into his headspace, "Mom said that he came looking for us because he didn't just want the Power from me, he wanted _me_ in with the package." Tyler shuddered at the thought and Caleb shifted closer on instinct, "Technically he was the eldest of this generation of Sons and according to the Book..." He trailed off, not really wanting to voice what he'd been thinking before Tyler had arrived.

Blue eyes lifted, "According to the Book...?"

A troubled expression crossed Caleb's face as he continued slowly, "Well, if according to the Book we're each a part of a whole, and Chase was a part of that too, then with him gone, aren't we screwed now?"

Instead of looking horrified, Tyler looked thoughtful, eyes unfocused as his brain kicked into gear. Caleb took a moment to watch him, half worried about the answer he was going to get and half amazed at how, even now, his body was responding to Tyler in ways that probably should be illegal. _Better get used to it_. Tyler hummed and reached out for the book, one arm behind Caleb as he leaned in and flipped the pages with his other hand.

"Maybe not," he said at length, wracking his brain as he tried to remember the parts about the Witch Trials and the mentions of Ipswich's history. "The fifth family wasn't killed off in Salem like everyone thought, right? We found out with Chase that that line carried on with Hagen Pope instead of dying with John Putnam. What the fuck happened to this Book, man, I can't find anything!"

Caleb chuckled at Tyler's frustration as he flicked through the pages with a frown, trying to find what he was looking for. He was forced to trap his hand against the page as he became more forceful with each movement and Tyler blinked at him in reaction. "I know, but what's that got to do with Chase?"

"Everything, if you actually _think_ about it," he said, arching an eyebrow at him slightly, "Chase was one of us, right? So, that share of the Power _wasn't_ destroyed, and yet for the past few generations, everything has been fine."

The darker haired boy frowned as he tried to follow what Tyler was saying, "I don't get it."

He sighed and shook his head, searching for a way to explain, "You said that the Book told you that each share of our Power is a part of a whole, right? That once Ascended we can only survive if we are connected to each other," He waited for Caleb's nod, "Ok, so if the fifth bloodline was still around, but not _here_ to be a part of this..."

"Then killing Chase has no effect on us?" Caleb phrased it like a question, not too sure if he should bank his hopes on it just yet.

"Exactly."

"But... why?" Caleb asked, frowning a little, "He was still descendant from the Putnam line, he Ascended at 18 like the rest of us."

"So what happened to the Power to make it so that the Putnam descendants were excluded?" Tyler asked for him. He shrugged, "I don't know, man." Tyler glanced back at the Book and immediately flushed; his smile a little bashful as he pulled his hand back. His skin was warm where he'd been holding it against the old paper. "But I, uh, can find out I guess. It looks like a lot has been added to the Book since I last saw it. Maybe there's something in here that can tell us?"

"Maybe." Caleb sighed and rubbed his fingers into his eyes, feeling weary all of a sudden, "I don't know, Ty, it's like the more I try to figure it out the more it confuses me."

Tyler shrugged, "Maybe it’s not something you're supposed to 'figure out'. Maybe it’s just something that is. Like with me and Reid. Neither of us had ever looked at guys before, but the two of us? It just was." The youngest slid his hand under the Book and closed it, pushing it from Caleb's lap to the floor where it fell with a loud, echoing thud. "C'mon, I'm starving and knowing you, you probably haven't eaten since breakfast."

Caleb stood with Tyler and followed him out, stretching out the kinks in his neck and shoulders, "What time is it anyway?"

"A little after three."

"Now you mention it, I am hungry."

Tyler laughed and led him up the stone steps lined with church candles, the wax melted and dripping over the edge. They both squinted in the daylight that filtered through the Colony House and made their way towards their cars after saying goodbye to Gorman.

"Hey," Caleb broached carefully as he got to his mustang. He looked at Tyler over the roof, "Have you heard anything from Pogue?"

It had been three days since he'd talked to the second eldest, longer since he'd actually seen him and Caleb was starting to get worried. He was ok - he'd know the second he wasn't - but something had definitely been off since Friday, and the phone call that night hadn't made things any better. He'd heard Kate's voice over the line, sounding pissed, and then the text message he'd received after told him that all was not well. But Caleb hadn't been able to ask him what was going on because he hadn't been able to find him. It was now Monday of their Thanksgiving break and Caleb was all but ready to camp outside on the front porch until he caught him. Tyler shrugged, mouth twisting into a helpless line, "No, we were hoping you had."

Caleb shook his head and leaned against the car, "I think he and Kate had a fight, but I haven't seen him to ask. He's just... disappeared."

"You know what he's like, man," Tyler said, "Just give him some time to work things out. He'll be back." He opened the door to the hummer and jumped in, "Come back to Reid's? We're gonna chill since the house is empty."

Caleb smiled and agreed, but even as he slid behind the wheel of his mustang and followed Tyler, he knew that he wouldn't stop worrying until Pogue himself told him that he was ok. Unfortunately, the only way he was going to get that was if Pogue decided to come out of hiding and face them.

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The sound of the slamming door echoed up the stairs, followed only moments later by the sound of an engine turning over outside. Pogue rolled his eyes and sighed, listening to the car move further and further away from the house until he couldn't hear it anymore. Both hands came up to cover his face, rubbing fingers into his eyes until he saw light spots. This was ridiculous; he couldn't hide like this forever or he’d go insane. Especially with his mother around. She'd given him a once over as he'd walked through the door, made a face, and shut herself away in the drawing room.

But the thought of seeing the other three was making his stomach churn. It wasn't that he didn't want to see them; the problem was that he wanted to, too much. Since breaking up with Kate, he'd taken a few days to actually think about it, forcing himself not to panic and to just figure out where his head was at.

It didn't take him long to realise that he'd been unconsciously using Kate as his excuse. He had a girlfriend, and Pogue wasn't a player; brothers or no. But now she was out of the picture, Pogue didn't have an excuse anymore. Unfortunately, that didn't mean he wasn't shit scared of the steps that he was about to take.

The steps he _wanted_ to take.

It was all he'd thought about all weekend. Being with them. Seeing them. Touching them. It was crazy, but he couldn't help it. The image of Caleb bent over him, leaving kisses down his stomach, Reid sinking down onto his cock, Tyler pinned under him, drove him out of his mind with want.

Only the sound of faint ticking from the clock on the wall and his relaxed breathing filled the room; the house itself was still and Pogue was alone in his room. ( _Teeth scrapped along his bottom lip, rubbing gently, eyes slowly falling shut_ ) He knew the night he broke up with Kate that he'd already made up his mind. ( _Palm inching down his body, fingers flirting with metal and denim_ ). He'd just needed time to get everything straight in his own mind. ( _Fly buttons popped, zipper lowered with a hiss_ ). He'd needed time to realise that - ( _Fingers sliding down, between skin and fabric, palm meeting hot, hard, needy flesh_ ) - maybe wanting them that way wasn't so bad - ( _Slow, steady strokes, root to tip, heartbeat speeding up, imagination running wild_ ) - after all.

\--------

The tingling started not long after they settled down to watch the movie. They'd sprawled out on the comfy couch in the den upstairs, Caleb in between Reid and Tyler, and surrounded themselves with the essentials of movie-night; pizza, popcorn and soda. It wasn't long after the first gruesome murder that Caleb felt his skin prickle, causing the eldest to frown and rub his arm absently. But his attention didn't deviate from the screen in front of them and he carried on watching the movie with his brothers like nothing had happened. He wriggled a little bit, letting one arm rest along the back of the sofa behind Tyler's head, and his other to rest comfortably along his leg, before he settled down again.

Then came the touches. Caleb wasn't aware he was doing it, too engrossed in the action playing out on screen, but slowly, his hand inched out and settled along Reid's thigh, thumb rubbing circles over the muscle under the denim. The other was gently stroking and playing with the short strands of hair at the nape of Tyler's neck. It wasn't long before the youngest stretched and arched into the hand, a soft, pleased sigh escaping him as he settled once more, his skin tingling pleasantly where Caleb was touching him.

Reid felt like he was slipping. He'd already lost concentration when he felt it; sparks and tingles across his lower back, not hurting or bugging him, just _there_. He arched back a little, mirroring Tyler's movements, his knees drifting apart even further and practically handing himself over.

"Caleb..."

The eldest's eyes closed, breath pulled in sharply at the sound of his name rolling off Tyler's tongue; a question and a demand fused into one simple word. He'd lost the thread of the movie ages ago and had merely been staring at the screen while he was lost in the haze that seemed to descend on him. Warmth closed in on both sides, but Caleb couldn't move. Not even when a leg slid over his lap and the body attached half straddled him, or when a hand cupped one side of his neck and lips caressed the other, or when the second body pressed in close and their hands wandered all over him.

"Coulda just asked," Reid pressed into his skin, slightly chapped lips favouring his pulse-point.

And even in the haze of lust that was determined to drag them under, Caleb frowned and tried to think. It was almost like wading through syrup; thick and gloopy and the more he pushed, it seemed, the more it resisted. But as Tyler's hands started slipping under his t-shirt and the gentle tingles raced down his spine, he realised that this didn't feel like all the other times. This wasn't a loss of control.

This wasn't him.

Caleb blinked. Finally able to move, he wrapped an arm around Reid's waist and secured him there and cradled the back of Tyler's head with his other hand, but instead of succumbing just yet, he slowly pulled away from Reid's mouth to say, "This isn't me, guys." Neither of them seemed to take any notice, so he gently tugged Tyler's hair and then pinched Reid's ass, "Guys. This isn't me. I'm not doing this."

Reid pulled back with a slight pout, annoyed that Caleb wasn't letting him have any fun, and let his hands roam over his broad chest. Tyler, who'd lifted himself on his knees on the couch beside them, frowned and stopped his hands from pulling up his shirt, but didn't take them off Caleb's stomach.

"Well, if it's not you..." Tyler said slowly, looking to Reid, "And it's not us... then..."

"Sonofabitch..." A slow, Cheshire-cat grin widened Reid's mouth, "Then it looks like our missing brother is having some fun of his own right now."

Caleb groaned softly, his head falling back as the thought hit him hard. Now Reid had said it, he couldn't get the image out of his mind; Pogue sliding his hand down, jacking his cock slow and steady, letting it build and build and build until he was so close, so close he was going to explode, and then arching back as he came into his fist. His groin throbbed, pants feeling way too tight. Reid chuckled and dropped his hand to Caleb's firm abs, rubbing wide circles along the muscles and rocking down as his brother squirmed under him.

"Knew he'd give in. It was just a matter of time before he realised that he couldn't escape our sexy asses."

Caleb ignored the comment, "He needs to be here. We should..."

"We should let him come to us," Reid cut in, not stopping the massage that seemed to sooth and ignite him simultaneously. He caught Caleb's eye, "We can't push him. He'll come to us in his own time."

"Want him here now," he almost whined, shivering at the feel of Pogue's pleasure calling to him, his Power reaching out to him. Caleb lifted his hips and pushed against the hand, forcing it lower. "Need him."

"You'll get him, Cay," Reid crooned, obeying the eldest's silent order and sliding his hand down to cup him in his jeans, shivering at the feral growl that slipped from him as he squeezed gently, "Soon."

"God, can we fuck now and ask questions later?" Two pairs of eyes shot to Tyler, who flushed, but looked more desperate than embarrassed about his outburst, "You have no idea what watching you two does to me."

Caleb's tongue ran along his top lip absently, eyes casting downwards to the similar impression in Tyler's pants, "I think I do."

Reid smiled like all his Christmases had come at once and slowly edged back from Caleb's lap until both feet were on the ground, "Me too. It involves you in my bed." He leaned over and kissed the dark-haired teen soundly, tongue tracing his lips until Caleb opened up for him, and then pulled away. "Which is this way."

They stumbled out of the den and down the hallway towards Reid's bedroom, unwilling to let each other go as they kissed and groped and stripped along the way. Caleb gave one last thought to Pogue, reaching out with the Power briefly, before he gave himself over to Reid and Tyler's wandering hands and mouths, letting them push him down to the bed.

He was beginning to think that this hidden part of the Power wasn't so bad after all.

\--------

Naked from the waist down, Pogue's hand lazily pulled on his cock while he let his mind drift. His jeans and boxers were in a messy pile at the bottom of the bed where he'd kicked them earlier, and the comforter under him was wrinkled and warm from where he'd settled into a comfortable position. This was still new to him. The physical actions had long been practiced, but the picture in his head was completely different, something he was still getting used to. Lush curves and sultry moans of pleasure became hard lines and rough grunts, soft skin stretching over muscle that that had been honed by years of sport. Pogue relaxed further into the mattress, his hand slowing until it was just barely teasing, and released himself to his daydream.

Strong thighs bracketed his hips, a hard body arched over his as they kissed, tongue passing lazily between the cavern their mouths made. His hands lay on each leg, slowly running up until he could press his thumbs into the hollows of his hips and gently massage, the tickle of hairs on his palm making him smile. His partner moaned softly, retaliating by sucking his lower lip into his mouth and nipping gently. Pogue's imaginary self laughed, his tongue coming out to swipe at the sting while his fingers moved further back and pressed into each ass cheek. Knees drifted further apart, the body on top of his settling harder and grinding down into the place that needed him the most. Blue eyes smirked at him, a cheeky tongue flicked across his lips and wandering fingers walked up and down his side.

Pogue's cock twitched, a shiver racing down his spine, but he didn't force his hand any faster. He kept the same pace, now using some of the pre-come to slick his hand a little and stroke slow. Imaginary Reid grinned behind his eyelids and lowered his mouth to his throat, trailing sucking kisses along his skin while confident fingers danced. Pogue's groan sounded abnormally loud in the stillness of his room, but he didn't care. The skin of his chest tingled as imaginary Reid continued south, nipples hardening without being touched. Then Reid sat up, the touch gone, making Pogue groan again. Imaginary Reid, the filthy tease, began to rock his hips slowly, fucking himself into his fist....

_... "Fuck, Reid," Caleb groaned, "Just do something, already!" he stared up the length of Reid's pale body as it moved, undulating slowly above him. The blond smirked, blue eyes glittering down at him. Tyler, who was stretched out beside him, laughed quietly while he licked and sucked along the hard muscles of Caleb's throat, applying his teeth liberally to every place that made him shiver._

_"Patience," he hissed, reaching over with his free hand to pet through Tyler's hair._

_The retort he was ready to shoot back died when Tyler took advantage of his open mouth. He moaned, curling an arm up so he could cradle the back of his head, his sweet taste filling him. Caleb swore he could get drunk from Tyler's kisses; the boy didn't know the meaning of holding back. Every emotion poured out through the movement of his lips; the stroking, pushing, sweeping motions of his tongue._

_Without further direction, Caleb's free hand wrapped around Reid's cock and started jacking him off with quick, rough motions._

_"Mmm, fuck yeah," Reid moaned, letting Caleb take over. He watched them from half-lidded eyes, tongue swiping at his top lip and tasting sweat. Fingers clenched and released by his sides as the pleasure built in his spine..._

... His cock twitched against his abs, but his hands no longer had control of that part of his body. One was lifted above his head and wrapped around the headboard, the other was flung over his eyes, blocking out the light from the room. His skin tingled, a line running from his left nipple, all the way down his side to his hip; invisible fingers leaving goosebumps in their wake.

The fantasy in his head had twisted and changed so many times that it had all blurred into one, but now he wasn't so sure that this _was_ his fantasy. Fingers tightened on the headboard as someone's mouth sucked at the crease of his thigh, his leg drifting up and out automatically. Pogue's breathing spiked, his heart beat ever increasing, hands itching to reach out and touch. A sharp flash of teeth just behind his ear made him grunt and arch, his dick harder than ever. Hands pushed down on his hips and pinned him back to the mattress, a slick tongue running from the base to the head of his cock making his moan and buck against the force.

"Please..." he murmured brokenly to the empty room, "Please...

_... "Please, please," Tyler whimpered, eyes closed and forehead pressed against Caleb's as Reid stretched him open with careful, teasing fingers. Strong, warm hands rubbed soothing circles along his sides and his back, loving and filthy words flowing over his skin and sticking like honey. He was bent at odd angles; straddling Caleb's waist and leaning over with his ass in the air, back arched like a cat while he rocked back and forth, begging for more._

_"So good, baby; god, so good when you take my fingers like this," Reid muttered from behind, his sultry low voice cutting cleanly through the rushing of blood in his ears, "Wish you could see what he looks like, Cay; the way he fucks himself on my fingers like he can't get enough."_

_Tyler shuddered and whimpered, body accommodating Reid as he added another finger. His own fingers spasmed, twisted in the sheets either side of Caleb's head, sweat dripping down his temple, and all Tyler could think was 'moremoremore'. Caleb tilted his head back enough to bring their open mouths together, tongue teasing and dipping but not kissing. Not yet._

_"This side's looking pretty good, too," he said, the sound of his voice rumbling along his bones. "You ready, baby boy? You want me to fuck you now?"_

_Tyler's mouth moved but no sound came out. He couldn't make his brain connect to give him the right answer. But in the end, he didn't need to._

_"He's ready. Fuck, he's so ready for you, Caleb, you're just gonna slide right into him so fuckin' perfect."_

_Two sets of hands moved him, the control passed over to his brothers as they pushed and pulled respectively, guiding him up and back and down, down, down..._

... It was the strangest thing he'd ever felt, but Pogue couldn't stop the moan from vibrating through his chest when it started. Something was pushing into him, something thick and solid pressing urgently against the ring of tight muscle until it gave way. He shuddered and moaned, his body writhing on the bed as the invisible force fucked into him, stretching him from the inside out. Pleasure and pain battled in a tug of war over his body, sweat beading and running down his chest.

But he didn't want it to stop. Fingers twisted harder in the bedsheets, so hard that his skin mottled red and white, and he rocked his hips back and forth, futilely trying to fuck himself back onto whatever was splitting him open. But it didn't work. Steadily it thrust in and out of him, slowly at first as if testing the waters, and then faster, harder, until some of the strokes hit that place deep inside him that made him buck and moan loudly.

And the most amazing thing? He still hadn't come. His cock was now impossibly hard, skin flushed angry red and his balls heavy with his load. The pleasure was building and building, his whole body trembling with it, but nothing could make him come.

He felt like he was going to explode.

Reaching down between his legs, he wrapped his hand around the stiff flesh and pulled at it roughly, panting, body shaking and rocking and writhing into each phantom touch and bite and suck. God, he was going to die...

_... He was going to die. Every single cell in his body was crying out for release, trembling so hard that he was surprised his teeth weren't rattling in his skull. Hands were everywhere. He could barely tell one set from the other anymore. Both touched and stroked and played while he was getting drunk on the pleasure running thick in his veins._

_Reid moved, drawing back slowly, hissing as hard, slick flesh dragged against hard, slick flesh. Tyler's ability to think had gone out the window a long time ago, along with his ability to speak. Breathing was becoming a problem too. Trembling hands rubbed up and down on his thighs, soothing him as Reid slammed back inside him and stole what little breath he had right out of his body. Caleb moaned._

_He shook, practically mindless with the pleasure. They were talking to him but he couldn't understand what they were saying, only the lust and pleasure that drenched the words translated to his over stimulated brain. Reid moved again, repeating the same motion of slow drag and sharp thrust, every twitch of Caleb's cock rocking him inside. Dancing fingers pinched and pulled at his nipples, but neither of them dared to stray to the place he wanted them the most._

_"Fuckin' amazing, baby boy, always so fucking amazing. Feel good, baby? Feel - fuck - good... us filling you up like this?"_

_Strong arms held him up as his body swayed forward, whimpering nonsense words into the thick air, begging them for more, for anything they were willing to give. One hot palm slid around his throat from behind, his pulse hammering against hot fingertips, while another inched down his torso, along the ridges of his abs, and then finally caressing the burning need of his groin. Tyler moaned loudly, brokenly, almost sobbing with relief. Just one more thrust, one firm stroke, please, Reid, Caleb, please god just let me come..._

... Choking on his breath, Pogue's body bowed outwards, spine arching and body vibrating so hard that he had to grab hold of the mattress to keep himself from falling straight off the bed. For a few moments the world moved in slow motion, that indescribable feeling in his core doubling, tripling, until it was sheer agony just to breathe.

Then, without warning, he shattered.

Liquid fire shot through his veins, mouth open wide, screaming silently into the still room. Toes curled, fingers scrabbled at the sheets while he writhed helplessly, lost in the throes of his orgasm. Come streaked his chest and stomach, dick shivering and pulsing through each wave, the blood pounding in his ears and the lack of breath making him dizzy. The Power prickled under his skin, moved and shifted and added to the cacophony of noise that filled his head.

And just when he thought it would never end, Pogue fell back to the bed, boneless, twitching and unable to move. The noise, the pounding in his head had subsided to a distant buzzing, the Power falling back. Panting and shivering, Pogue could do little more than lie there and melt into the aftershocks, feeling like his skin was too loose after being so tight. A pleasant ache settled over his body while he drifted, disconnected from the world and lost in his sexual high.

A door slammed. The shock jolted him out of his trance, his breathing rapid. He swallowed, picking up the sounds of someone moving around downstairs. Slowly, he rolled over onto his back, wincing as his cramped muscles protested, and stared up at the ceiling with something like awe in his eyes. That had been... intense.

With a grimace at his current state, he hauled himself up to stand on beside the bed, walking on shaking legs towards the door. Checking to see if his mother was in the hallway, he made his way towards the bathroom for a much needed shower, only realising after he was under the scalding hot spray that the afternoon sun was now way below the horizon.


	16. Chapter 16

Reid didn't know what time it was when he first felt the bed move, but even though he didn't open his eyes he was pretty damn sure that it was too fucking early. Sluggishly his brain started working, throwing up images of last night’s activities. He smiled. _Damn_. That had been some good shit. He drew in a breath - chest arching out as he rolled onto his back, stretched - and let it out in one long, satisfying sigh. The bed moved again, this time on the other side, but the movements stopped soon after they started.

When he finally gathered enough energy to open his eyes, he saw that there was one less person than there should be. The covers were wrinkled and pushed back to his right, the door left ajar. The red numbers on the alarm clock by the bed read 7:23am. Reid snorted. Figures. Rolling his head to his left, he saw Tyler stretched out on his stomach, one arm up by his head and the other thrown carelessly out to the side. He was out cold. Reid smiled softly and leaned across him, kissing his bare shoulder gently before following Caleb's example and sliding out of bed. He didn't wake up.

Grabbing a discarded pair of boxers from the floor and pulling them on, he padded down the hall and towards the stairs, squinting in the light of the hallway. The smell of coffee hit him just as he hit the last stair and Reid followed it all the way into the kitchen. Caleb was reaching into the overhead cupboard for a mug and Reid stopped for a second to just look at him. His jeans were low on his hips, low enough for him to see that he wasn't wearing anything else underneath. Reid grinned. The muscles in his back flexed, his shoulder blades sharp relief under the lightly tanned skin, moving with him as he turned to the coffee maker and poured the black liquid into the cup.

"Do you have to get up so fuckin' early?" he said, voice husky with disuse, "It's called vacation for a reason."

Caleb turned to lean back against the counter, lifting the cup to his lips with one hand while the other braced around the granite surface. Reid didn't hide the fact that he was leering at him, blue eyes travelling a slow path down from the bruised bites at his throat, along his chest and down to his abs, where a thin trail of dark hair disappeared beneath the half-open fly. He made an appreciative noise in the back of his throat and moved further into the kitchen. The cold tiles against his bare feet didn't bother him as much as they usually did, distracted from the sensation by the sight of the other man.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you," he said after he swallowed, watching Reid's every move, giving him a once over of his own. Reid claimed his coffee when he reached him. Caleb cocked an eyebrow, not bothering to resist, and then snorted when the blond wrinkled his nose and handed the cup back to him. "Ugh. How do you drink that?"

He shrugged and took another draft of the hot, bitter liquid, letting the caffeine injection kick-start his body. "Where's Ty?"

"Sleepin'," Reid replied with a mutinous glare, "Which is exactly what I'd be doing if you hadn't decided to play early bird."

Caleb laughed and set the coffee down on the counter behind him, "I forgot how bitchy you are in the morning. You know, after what we did last night, I'm surprised you aren't more agreeable."

"Dude, getting laid last night doesn't make me perky, no matter how fucking amazing it was." The blond smirked at him and moved closer, reaching out to run his hands over the bare chest in front of him, "Getting laid this morning, however..."

The eldest grinned and shook his head, but wrapped his arms around the other boy anyway. Leaning down, he met Reid half way, teeth nipping at his lips before teasing them open with his tongue. Morning breath wasn't quite masked by the coffee they shared, but Caleb found he didn't really care. It was more than made up for by the hands that travelled up his chest to his shoulders, neck, one palm curving around his jaw. He made a soft sound into Reid's mouth, arms tightening a fraction as he fell into the kiss. It still surprised him that he could do this, that they were so willing. That he _wanted_ it.

Last night had been the first time he'd ever fucked a guy. Since finding out about how the Power was affecting him, Reid and Tyler had taken it upon themselves to keep him grounded, to keep him sane. He knew he wouldn't have been able to survive classes last week if it hadn't have been for the youngest two dragging him off every so often to ease the itch and the ache with their hands and their mouths. He didn't dare to take it any further, wasn't planning to for a while. But last night... Last night he felt Pogue's Power reaching out to him, pulsing with his pleasure, and he couldn't find the words to protest when Tyler begged and pleaded with them in that low, aching voice.

Muscles jumped as fingers flirted with the edge of his jeans, tips dipping under the denim and teasing the bare skin underneath, edging south slowly. Caleb growled softly and backed Reid up into the island, ignoring the stool that scraped along the floor as he fell into it. Reid moaned and let himself be hauled up onto the counter, his legs parting automatically to let the eldest settle between them, their mouths fused together and unwilling to let the other go until the need for air became urgent. The blond let his head fall back as Caleb's mouth licked and bit and sucked along his throat, his hands groping and pulling at his shorts, and Reid encouraged him with the hand in his hair and the nails that bit into his strong shoulder.

"I hope you were planning to clean that after you'd finished."

They sprang apart with respective hissed curses (" _Jesusfuckingshitfuck_ "), Caleb stumbling back a few steps and staring wide eyed at a point behind Reid. The blond tried to calm his breathing; head now bend forward instead of back, tangled hair falling into his eyes.

"Hey, mom," he said, making his tone awkwardly light and conversational while he craned his neck around to look at his mother. "How are you? Nice trip?"

Meredith Garwin stood in the archway that separated the main room from the kitchen, one shaped eyebrow arched over her grey-blue eyes, looking, as always, like she'd just stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine. Not a blond hair was out of place in the French twist at the back of her head, nor was there a crease in her grey slacks and pale pink blouse that was tucked into the waistband. The corner of her mouth was curled up, soft amusement in the curve of her oval face.

"Hello, son," she replied, laughter colouring her otherwise even tone, "The trip was fine, thank you. I'd ask how you are, but I'm not sure if I want the answer just now." She turned to Caleb, "Good morning, Caleb."

A scarlet flush crept along his skin as her attention turned to him, and he muttered out a 'Hey Mrs Garwin' as he dropped his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck. Wow. This was... beyond awkward. If she had walked in any later... Caleb shuddered; he didn't even want to think about that. He supposed it was lucky that she'd appeared before they could get into anything heavier and besides, on the bright side, it couldn't get any worse, right?

Half-asleep, Tyler chose that exact moment to stumble into the kitchen through the door that came off the hallway, dressed only in yesterdays boxer shorts. A yawn stretched his mouth, blindly reaching out towards Caleb and wrapping himself around the older boy from behind, cheek pressed into the warm planes of his back. "Mmm, will trade sexual favours if someone gives me coffee."

The stunned silence was broken only by the soft, knowing "Ah" from Reid's mom. Caleb blinked and flailed for something to say, trying his best to ignore his body's reaction to Tyler's warmth pressed up against him, and Reid just snickered and hid a smile, finding the situation as hilarious as it was embarrassing.

"Um, Tyler? We have company."

"Hmm?" Confused, the youngest frowned and cracked his eyes open but didn't move from his place behind Caleb. It took him a few seconds to realise that there was another person present, and that other person was Reid's mom. He tensed immediately, his sleepy haze lost in his mortification and he quickly turned to hide his flaming face in Caleb's back, his muttered "Oh _god_!" muffled by his skin.

Meredith chuckled quietly, watching her son slide off the counter top and turn on the spot, casually hiding behind the solid mass. She didn't need to ask why.

"We should, ah... we'll just... go now," Caleb said, not sure if he was telling them or whether he was just saying something to fill the awkward moment between the four of them. Without waiting for an answer, he turned and tugged Tyler back out of the room, both of them heading for the stairs as fast as their feet would carry them.

"You're not surprised?" Reid questioned once they were alone, suddenly feeling serious. His mother sighed and moved towards him, making sure to keep the island between them until her son was comfortable with her presence.

"Yes and no. I'm not surprised about the situation. I _am_ surprised at how much you seem to be involved already. I didn't expect anything to happen until around Christmas."

"So, you knew..." He asked slowly, eyeing her carefully as if she was going to explode any minute, "You knew about... about dad?"

She sighed again, this time sadly, and walked around the counter until she was close by. Reaching out, she cupped her hand lovingly around her son's cheek, staring into the face that was so much like her late husband's. Instead of answering directly, she simply said, "Get dressed. We'll talk over breakfast."

Reid started to protest, "But-"

"Dressed first," She cut in with an arched eyebrow, "Then we'll talk."

"Okay, okay!" He huffed, sounding annoyed, but the small smile curving his mouth gave away his true feelings at having his mom back. He'd missed her while she'd been away, although he'd never actually tell her that. He pulled back from her and started towards the stairs. He was half way up when her voice reached his ears again.

"And don't you dare start anything with those boys, Reid Garwin, or I will come up and dress you myself."

Feeling his face heat, he choked on his embarrassed exclamation and carried on to his room. God, he really hoped that she'd forget to carry out that promise.

\--------

Once showered and dressed, Reid wandered back through the house in search of his mother. Caleb and Tyler had left pretty quickly, neither of them wanting to stick around to face his mom after what they'd been caught doing. He'd laughed and called them pussy's, but let them go anyway with the promise he'd catch up with them later. The blond smiled when he remembered how Caleb had looked at him, the dark look searing him from half-way down the drive. Damn him.

"Reid?"

He turned on his heel and headed towards his mom's voice, ending up in the spacious dining room. She sat at the head of the table, a plate of croissants in front of her. A plate holding what Reid assumed to be his breakfast sandwich sat adjacent and he wasted no time in sliding into the seat before it and taking one big bite. His mother snorted softly beside him when he moaned in pleasure. What? He was hungry!

"I take it you worked up a decent appetite last night."

Reid made a face and swallowed his last mouthful, "Mooom." Meredith laughed and turned to her own breakfast, spreading butter on her croissant and taking a much more delicate bite than her son. Reid watched the way her jaw worked as she chewed, the arched eyebrows as she stared down at the newspaper on her other side, knowing damn well she wasn't interested in what it had to say.

"Why are you being so calm about this?"

The quiet question made her glance at him, eyes softening as she looked upon her son. Putting the croissant down, she swallowed and turned her full attention to him. "Did you want me to be angry with you?"

"Hell, I don't know!" He burst out, waving his hands out before letting one fall against the table and the other push through his hair, "It's just... weird that you're ok with this." He paused and lifted his eyes to hers. "You _are_ ok with this... right?"

The older woman nodded slowly, "Yes, Reid, I'm ok with it. I knew it was going to happen sooner or later."

The teenager frowned, the first stirrings of hurt settling in his stomach, "But why didn't anyone tell _us_?"

She sighed, "How were we supposed to tell you? When? When you were 13? 16?" She shook her head, "You were too young to understand back then, and when your father died I just didn't know how to broach the subject with you."

They were silent for a while. Meredith turned back to her breakfast and her paper, but she had lost the relaxed air she had about her. Reid had slouched back in his seat, picking at the hangnails around his cuticles as he tried to figure out how he felt. He knew that she was right, that there wasn't an easy way of telling him, but a part of him still felt betrayed.

"Bet you weren't happy when you found out," he muttered.

Meredith didn't answer for a few minutes. Then, she said, "You father told me when he proposed to me." Reid quirked an eyebrow in surprise and looked up. "I knew they were close, closer than just friends anyway, but I didn't realise just _how_ close until that night. He came clean about everything - the Power, their bond." Her eyes clouded, a small smile flitting around her mouth telling Reid that she was replaying the moment from memory, "He told me that he'd understand if I wanted to throw the ring back in his face and leave him forever, but he begged me to think about it first."

She took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, settling back in her chair, "And you're right, I wasn't happy. I mean, it's not something you expect the man you love to tell you, is it? _'My best friends are really my lovers. Will you marry me?'_ " She snorted and shook her head, "I was shocked and angry, but after I stormed away that night, after I calmed down, I did as he asked. I thought long and hard about it. Could I deal with it? Could I marry him knowing that he wasn't just mine to have and to hold?"

"Obviously you could," Reid said, glancing down at the wedding band that was still around her ring finger. Meredith followed his gaze, spreading her fingers out to get a good look at the yellow-gold band.

"Obviously." With a soft sigh she gathered the plates up and stood, talking as she went and expecting Reid to follow, "It wasn't easy. When I found out I was pregnant, I think my mind had already been made up. I loved him. It was as simple and as complicated as that." She set the plates down to wash and turned to Reid, leaning back against the counter and crossing her arms, "And that's why I'm so calm about this. I knew what I was getting into when I married your father, I knew that eventually you'd be drawn to each other and I'd have to get over any problems I had with that."

Reid nodded slowly, taking in the information and letting it soak into his brain. But his mom was far from finished.

"But just because I can live with it, doesn't mean I want to see it, ok?" She gave her son a look that made sure he knew what she was talking about, "Please make sure I'm out or at least keep the noise down to a minimum, so I can be blissfully ignorant of what you are doing to each other."

His cheeks heated and he shot her a vaguely sick look, the thought of his mother overhearing them making him feel ill. "Trust me, it's not something I want you to hear either."

"Good." She gave a definite nod and then straightened up, "Now that's sorted, you can go and amuse yourself for the rest of the day. I'm running on energy I don't have and right now the thought of my bed is the only thing keeping me going."

He gave her a mock salute and left, feeling more settled than he had been an hour ago. At least that was one thing he didn't have to worry about.


	17. Chapter 17

It had been a long time since the house had seen this much activity. Mrs Garwin had taken over, organizing and instructing, dividing up jobs between the three of them while she prepared the food. Neither of them argued with her, his own mother had watched them with an amused smile as they set to the tasks they were given, knowing that to argue with Meredith Garwin when she was in Command mode was like risking their lives. Caleb leaned against the arch that connected the hall to the dining room, silently watching Reid and Tyler as they laughed and played around each other while setting the table.

The smell of roasting turkey and cooking vegetables wafted through the halls from the kitchen. Caleb's memories stirred briefly, flashing back to when he was a kid - no older than 6 or 7 - sat at the long polished wood table and surrounded by family. Reid and Pogue flicked sweet potatoes at each other when they thought the adults weren't looking, Tyler and Caleb giggling and egging them on until his mother told them to stop or be spanked. Every place at the table had been filled then.

It was to be their last Thanksgiving feast together, the years following turning cold with anger, despair and bitterness.

Something pulled at his insides; a gentle tug that preceded the shiver of his Power recognising someone else. He turned. Even though he knew who it was, his heart still gave a small jolt when his eyes found him, slowing to a stop a few feet away in the hall. Caleb couldn't help but feel the slow burn of arousal coiling inside him; taking in his appearance slowly. Both hands were stuffed into the pockets of his jeans, leather jacket open over a white faded logo t-shirt. The slight incline of his head caused his hair to fall in his face, despite the fact that Pogue had obviously run his hand through it numerous times. He muttered a quiet 'hey' towards his feet.

"Hey," Caleb replied, almost hesitant, careful. There was a beat before he added, "I didn't think you'd come." The eldest was close enough to see the hurt expression flash across his face and quickly backtracked, "No, I meant... I called and left messages, but..."

The other teen shrugged, finally lifting his head, but still avoiding Caleb's eyes, "Yeah, things got... complicated... and then I... just needed some time to deal. I'm ok now."

"Really?" Caleb asked, doubt slipping in his tone.

"Yeah."

"You sure about that?" Both of them looked up to see Reid and Tyler standing firm behind Caleb. Seriousness had replaced childish teasing, in both expression and voice. "Because you've said that before. A couple of times."

Pogue shifted awkwardly, head falling forward again in an unconscious effort to hide from them. They were right, of course, and after each time he'd bolted again and left them while he was stuck in his own head. But this was different. This time he wasn't just saying the words, or burying his head in the sand over the whole thing. His eyes had been opened the night his fantasy had felt more like reality and now he couldn't stop thinking about it. About _them_. But how could he say that to them here, now?

"Ah, there you are!" The four turned to see Mrs Garwin join them in the hall, her appearance halting their conversation. She gave a smile to Pogue, "Nice to see you, Pogue."

He smiled and nodded, relieved at the short respite she had offered, "You too, Aunt Meredith."

She looked around at them all, standing in the hall and arched an eyebrow, "Well? Have you finished already? Because I can give you something else to do if you want."

Caleb, Reid and Tyler had retreated back to the dining room before she'd even finished her sentence. Meredith smirked and turned back to Pogue, wrapping a motherly arm around his shoulder and leading him into the kitchen, "And you get to help me with the food."

"Sure," he said with a good-natured shrug.

The older woman gave him a few minutes to slide out of his jacket before she asked lightly, "Is your mother joining us for dinner?"

He tensed, not looking at her as he shook his head and lay his jacket over a chair, "No, she's not feeling well. She's sorry she can't be here."

The words were slow, practiced. Meredith shared a significant look with Evelyn over the counter while Pogue wasn't looking, dropping her gaze when the young man focused on them. She smiled at him reassuringly, "No matter, I hope she feels better soon. Now, about this food..."

\--------

She watched him leave on the errand, feeling a small spark of guilt flare in her gut. The bowl she'd sent him for wasn't really needed, but it was a good excuse as any to get him out of the kitchen for a while. She could see he was uncomfortable, nervous even, about being here, and while Reid hadn't filled her in on the details, she had a good idea why. Their conversation in the hallway had only proved her suspicions. _Just like his father_.

"You didn't really expect her to come, did you?"

The blond woman glanced back to her old friend, sharp eyes tracking her movements across the room as she sorted dishes and plates and utensils. She couldn't help but notice the creases in her skin, the worry lines that the past few years had carved into her. There was no doubt that she was looking better now, but those dark days had left their mark on her. Meredith knew that she was getting help for her drink problem and that her determination to overcome the addiction was getting stronger every day. It was going to be hard, but she didn't doubt that one day she'd see something of the old, vivacious Evelyn Danvers spark in her eyes.

"No," she answered with a sigh, walking over to stove and checking on the vegetables in the steamer, "I would have been more surprised if she had." After a second she paused, "He didn't ask her to come. I doubt he even told her."

Evelyn watched her, eyebrow arching slightly above one eye, "Yet you still asked the boys to set seven places instead of six."

She met her friend's gaze head on, silent for a few moments, before letting out her breath in another sigh, "Hope? Insanity? I don't know, Eve, I just thought-"

"You just thought that she'd changed her mind." The Danvers matriarch finished for her, softening her look marginally when Meredith didn't answer. "Bea isn't going to change her mind, especially not now. She'll never get over what Wayne did to her, she won't let herself."

"I know." The blonde's shoulders sagged, "I know. I'd just hoped that she'd forgive us someday."

Evelyn snorted and went back to looking over the dishes before her, "She's not the forgiving type."

Meredith pursed her lips and said nothing. Beatrice Parry was as stubborn as a mule and a part of her was glad that she wasn't there to unload her bitter and hateful nature onto them.

Another part of her missed the strong young woman she'd known all those years ago.

\--------

Pogue frowned. Some part of him knew that the conversation he'd overheard wasn't meant for his ears, and another realised that the bowl in his hands was just an excuse to get him out of the kitchen. Without making a sound, he turned to lean against the wall and dropped into his thoughts.

On some level he'd always known that his mother's temperament was caused by his father. He didn't remember much from when he was younger, but it was enough to know that she hadn't always been like that. Then his father had left, and the loving mother's touch he'd always known had turned cold and hard. She'd become an Ice Queen and frozen her own son out of her life. That's why he'd jumped at the chance for a room in the dorms just to escape her.

 _She'll never get over what Wayne did to her, she won’t let herself._ Pogue had asked her once, just after his dad's funeral, why she was so mean. The emotions of the day had got to him, he hadn't understood anything but the need to get out of the cemetery as quick as humanly possible, and so he burst with the question burning inside of him. The memory of his mother's blazing eyes and swift slap had never left him and he'd learned not to ask any more.

 _You're not like him, dammit. You're better than that._ He shook his head and sighed, lifting one hand to push through his long hair in frustration. Was he? His brother's were starting to doubt him; the hesitation in Caleb was as clear as Reid's defiant challenge and could he blame them? Pulling back and running were what the family was best at after all, he thought bitterly, and for all his talk, he'd been towing the line like always. Was he really better than that?

He stayed there for a few minutes, staring at the opposite wall without really seeing it while the noises from the kitchen and from down the hall drifted over him. After a while he took a deep breath in and nodded, the action firm. Silent decision made, he turned back and walked into the kitchen to give the bowl to his aunt.

He would not be his father.

\--------

Hours later, Caleb found himself elbow deep in soapy water, washing up plates and utensils used before, during, and after dinner. As Thanksgiving's go, it certainly wasn't the worst, even if the long awkward silence as they started to eat had made him wish for the ground to open up and swallow him. They struggled to find a conversation topic that would lighten the mood, but his mom surprised them by telling stories about Caleb's first years.

That wish became a very heart-felt prayer.

But while the tales of his childhood were embarrassing, they eased away the tense moments, smoothing them out like wrinkles on a blanket. Caleb frowned and tried not to think on it too much.

Light footsteps behind him alerted him to another presence, the Power prickling along his skin in recognition. He paused for a brief second and then continued to wash the plate in his hands at a slower pace. Delaying tactics, he knew, but he couldn't help it. He didn't think he could cope with another let down.

He sighed as he placed the gleaming white plate on the drying rack, using the dish cloth beside him to wipe his hands before turning around. Pogue hovered near the island in the centre of the kitchen, both hands deep in his jeans pockets. Caleb studied him for a few seconds, noting that he hadn't shaken off the nervousness that had settled over him during dinner. Eyes darted around the room, avoiding his for as long as possible and he could tell that he was making a conscious effort not to hide behind his hair. Caleb's stomach twisted a little in desperation; he wanted to have him, to help him. But how could he do that when Pogue wouldn't help himself?

"Are you ok?" He asked eventually, leaning back against the counter and trying not to let the doubt shadow his face.

"Yeah," Pogue answered quickly, still not meeting his eyes, "Yeah, I'm... good."

He wasn't. It was so damn clear that he wasn't ok and Caleb barely suppressed a snort. The long-haired teen had been quiet all through dinner, jumpy almost. He'd had a hard time blocking out his emotions and trying to keep in control of his own. Nervousness, fear, and frustration swept through him like firestorms; burning and strong and near consuming him.

"Riiiiight." The word was drawn out, tone clearly saying he wasn't convinced. With a sigh and a shake of his head, Caleb threw down the dishcloth and went to leave, but just as he brushed past Pogue, a strong hand clamped around his bicep and jerked him back. Control snapped, the need to shake the other boy until his teeth rattled rising higher and higher.

"Caleb-"

"Dammit!" He growled, his own frustration taking hold as he pulled his arm free and stared at his brother. Fingers clenched and released, but he held himself back from wrapping them around Pogue's throat. "Just tell me what you want!"

His mouth worked as Pogue flailed around for an answer, "I... well... you."

Caleb laughed, but the sound was harsh and angry, "Really? Is that what you really want?" When Pogue didn't answer he shook his head, "You can't just keep saying yes then running away from us. I can't stand it anymo-"

Shock made his eyes widen, but it was the hard, closed-mouth kiss that dried the words in his mouth. He was paralyzed, unable to respond or move away. The bite of Pogue's grip shot along his upper arms for a few seconds but it was lost as his world tilted and spun in the wrong direction. The Power rippled around them, the humming in his ears growing louder and louder and louder-

Only to finish as soon as it had started. When he finally sucked in air he felt dizzy and disorientated, a cacophony of feeling and noise bouncing around his skull. Only the weight of large hands gripping his arms kept him from falling or flying, and Pogue's words, when he spoke, barely carried over the din.

"Look, I..." he took a deep breath and started again, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do here, ok, but I know it's what I want. I'm sick of running."

When Caleb's silence became too much to bear, Pogue swallowed and started to turn away. But this time, Caleb was ready for him. A decision was made in the space of a second. Spinning him around, he pinned him hard against the wall, reversing their positions as the need to dominate overruled his desire to knock him senseless. He could sense Pogue's shock, his fear, his anger, and it only fuelled him more. Taking advantage of his open mouth, Caleb kissed him long and dirty, tongue invading, tasting, taking. The soft noise of Pogue's apparent confusion was swept aside by his tongue and swallowed, blood pounding in his ears like a demanding drum-beat, urging him on until the coil tightened so much he was damn sure it was going to break.

Then Pogue started kissing back. Then his hands settled on his hips, heavy and warm, squeezing and dragging him closer. And just like that, the unchecked wave of passion crashed and started to settle. A strong, slick tongue duelled with his own; pushing and sliding and teasing. He became aware of warm, broad shoulders under his palms, the t-shirt that had been screwed up by his fingers now lay creased, but flat against his skin as one hand drifted towards his cheek, fingers twining in long strands of hair behind his ear.

The coil inside him loosened once more.

Grudgingly, the two teens broke their lip lock in order to catch their breath, but neither seemed willing to move otherwise. Warm foreheads pressed together and their shared air as they panted lightly, hormones and Power running rampant through their heated blood. Hazel eyes connected with deep brown, conversation passing silently between them.

"Now that's settled," Said a voice from the doorway, "maybe we can stop walking on eggshells and avoiding each other."

They jumped apart guiltily and snapped their focus to Tyler, who stood with his arms crossed and smiling at them, one eyebrow cocked. Pogue cleared his throat, cheeks heating as he reached up to scratch the back of his neck.

"How long you been standing there?"

Tyler's smile turned into a smirk, "A while." He laughed gently at Pogue's clear discomfort and moved towards them, reaching out and mock punching him on the arm, "Glad to have you with us, bitch." Pogue grumbled and made a face at him while the youngest leaned back against the island, but he couldn't hide the embarrassed, yet happy smile that pulled at his bruised lips.

"We're not there yet," Caleb said quietly, a fond smile stretching his mouth as he looked from Tyler to Pogue, "But it's a start."

The saloon-type doors opened again and three heads swivelled around to watch Reid back into the kitchen, arms full of used linens. He turned, stopped, and looked between the three of them with a frown that only deepened as the seconds passed. Not a word was spoken, until Reid's troubled expression shifted to one of disappointment as he dumped the pile of cloth onto the counter.

"Aw shit, what did I miss?"

Caleb and Pogue grinned, eyes connecting for a second before avoiding again. Tyler rolled his eyes and moved towards his boyfriend, "Not much really, just Caleb and Pogue sucking face like it was going out of style." He kissed the pale cheek with a grin of his own and sauntered off with the stuff for the laundry.

Reid pouted at them, a mischievous look already in his eye, "I expect a repeat performance soon." The pout transformed to a leer as he raked his gaze down both bodies, "Preferably with less clothes."

The eldest chuckled and finally moved to leave, ignoring the way his already interested cock filled more with Reid's look. "No rushing, ok? At least _try_ to keep it in your pants, Garwin." He smirked and passed the blond, brushing by much closer than was necessary as he left to finish up his chores.

If either of the two women noticed his lighter step, or the small smile that graced his lips, they didn't mention it.

\--------

It was late when their party of six broke up. Reid helped his mom load her car with the stuff they'd brought over and then waited until she was out of sight before cornering Pogue and stealing a kiss of his own. To hell with waiting. He wanted to make sure Pogue knew his intentions, to tell him that if he was going to accept Caleb then he accepted all of them. And by the way Pogue responded, he knew it wouldn't take much to convince him.

"No more running, moron," he breathed when they parted, nipping at his lower lip sharply to get his attention, "Or I will hunt you down, drag you back, and chain you to the goddamn bed." He kissed him again, quick and chaste to seal his promise, and then left him stunned in the hallway for Caleb to find.

Tyler was waiting for him on the drive.

"What did you do?" He asked dubiously upon seeing the wicked look in his eye. The blond headed towards the younger teen with a feigned look of innocence.

"Nothing," he said lightly, wrapping his arms around his hips and kissing his neck gently. Tyler stiffened in his arms and tried to pull away, but Reid only held him tighter and nipped at the sensitive skin, making him shudder.

"C'mon, Re, your mom's... in the car..."

Reid shrugged and stopped kissing his throat, but he didn't let go of Tyler or let him pull away. He looked the younger teen dead in the eye and said, "So?"

He blinked, "So? Dude, you can't just... kiss me like that... in front of your mom." It was hard to see Tyler's blush in the dark, but he knew it was there. He grinned and answered him with another kiss, this time to the lips; slow and sweet. Unable to resist any longer, Tyler relaxed against him with a sigh, forgetting everything and everyone around them and losing himself to Reid without another thought.

It was the car horn that made him jump and pull away with a gasp, looking around wildly for the source and then flushing when he realized who it was. Blue eyes laughed at him in the dark, lips red and slick, and Tyler sent him a muted glare.

"I hate when you do that," He muttered, wrapping his arms around himself as the winter chill seeped through his jacket. Funny, he hadn't noticed when Reid had been wrapped around him.

"No you don't." The blond smirked and darted forward to kiss him quick, "Later."

Reid struggled to keep the self-satisfied grin from pulling at his mouth when he jumped into the car. His mother eyed him with an arched eyebrow as she pulled away from the house and down the drive. Reid watched her, lips twitching. "What?"

Meredith sighed and shook her head, amused, "I knew this was going to be trouble."

He laughed and settled back in the seat, "If it makes you feel any better, me and Ty were together before this Power-bond thing came up." She glanced at him, surprised, and he shrugged. "It's kinda official between us."

"Since when?" she questioned.

Another shrug, eyes lowering to his hands as he picked at the hangnails around his thumb, "Since August."

The slight curving of his lips that he couldn't quite hide was all Meredith needed to see to know that he was serious, but while that made her happy, a part of her couldn't help feeling unsettled at the revelation too. It made things both simple and a lot more complicated, for too many reasons to list.

When they finally got home, Reid, after much grumbling and dragging his feet, helped his mother in with the boxes they'd taken from Caleb's house. He groaned as he waited for her to unlock the door; God knew what stuff they'd brought home with them. Some of it was theirs, that much he knew, but the extra stuff had been boxed up by Caleb's mother and given to them.

"Jeez," he hissed, finally setting the box down on the kitchen table, "What the hell's in these things."

"Never you mind," Meredith muttered, giving him a look when he rolled his eyes at her comment, "Just get them out of the car."

Five minutes later, Reid had set the last box down on the table and tossed the car keys on the side. He looked around for his mom, but she didn't appear to be around. _Good_ , he thought with a smirk, _that means I can get one of these suckers open and see what Aunt Evelyn is hiding_. He retrieved a knife from the sideboard and went to slice through the packing tape that sealed the box, but before he could get down to business he stopped. Something on the table caught his eye and, frowning, he set down the knife to get a closer look.

Tucked under one of the boxes were two white rectangles of paper. With a swift tug, Reid pulled them free and had a closer look.

"Going somewhere, mom?" He murmured to himself, frowning down at the tickets in his hand. The destination said London, departure from Logan, but it was the date that caught his attention the most. December 9th to December 29th. "But... that's Christmas..."

"I know."

Reid looked up, gaze locking onto his mother. She looked tired, but serious, and if he wasn't mistaken, a little nervous too. His frown deepened. "I don't get it. You've only just got back." Before she could answer he glanced back down to the tickets and carried on, "And why two tickets, if there's only..."

His sentence trailed off when he saw the name on the second ticket, then he laughed and shook his head, but the look he gave his mother was anything but amused. "No way."

"Reid-"

"Nu-uh, no," he cut across her, "Cancel the ticket."

She shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest as she regarded her son, "No. The ticket stays." Reid went to argue but the blonde woman lifted a hand to stop him, " _No_ , Reid. The tickets are booked. We're going to England and that's final."

"Bullshit!" he exploded, glaring at her, "It's freakin' _Christmas_!"

"And I have family I want you to meet," she shot back, "So we're going. End of story"

"Family?!" Reid stared at her, Meredith met his eyes, almost defiantly, as though their roles were reversed, "No, Mom. My _family_ is here," Reid growled, "and _I'm_ spending Christmas with them. So you can cancel the ticket because I'm not going. End of story," Reid shook his head, muttering under his breath, "Fucking family."

Meredith narrowed her eyes, "Reid Joseph Garwin, don't you dare take that tone with me."

He recognised the danger in her voice, but he was too angry to care, "Whatever. I'm out of here."

"Reid. _Reid!_ Get back here right now!"

Ignoring his mother's furious calls, Reid grabbed his keys from the sideboard and left, slamming the door behind him.


	18. Chapter 18

Caleb had always been a heavy sleeper. From the second he drifted off until the alarm clock woke him in the morning, he was pretty much dead to the world. It was very rare for him to wake up in the middle of the night - Power usage and Darklings notwithstanding. Which is why the dark-haired teen was frowning, eyes cracked open just enough to see the red numbers of his alarm clock swim into focus. 3:18am. Something had pulled him from sweet unconsciousness back into the land of the living and whatever it was was going to pay.

Freezing cold fingers touched his waist and he flinched away with a sharp hiss. A low chuckle preceded the press of a body against his back, the skin only slightly warmer there as goosebumps raced over Caleb's flesh.

"F'ck," he groaned, voice sticky, eyes screwed up and keeping still as Reid moved to wrap around him, "Bastard."

"Bitch," The blond answered, amused, and pressed his nose to the nape of Caleb's neck, lips stretching even more when the oldest teen jumped again. The more he did this, the easier he found it; being around Caleb like this, being with him. He liked it.

"Mm," He agreed groggily, "What you doin' here? Thought you'd gone home."

"I did."

The tone in his voice caused Caleb to frown again and with a little bit of manoeuvring he turned over to face the blond and pulled him closer. He still found it weird how easy it was to accept this, to touch and be touched and hold and be held. Especially with Reid. They clashed more than they gelled, or at least they used to. Hot breath skated over his collar-bone as the blond tucked his head under his strong chin, cold hands and feet now warming themselves on his bare back and legs.

"What's up?" He murmured, breath stirring his hair.

Reid shook his head slightly, "Mom. It's nothing." Caleb bit his tongue and declined from mentioning that he knew it wasn't 'nothing'. Instead Reid sighed again and asked, "What happened with Pogue?"

He smirked, "Nothing." He didn't need to see the blond's face to know that Reid was rolling his eyes, so he snorted, "Nothing, ok? I told you we were going to take this slow. I don't want to spook him."

"From Tyler's description of you two sucking face, I'd say he wants to be spooked." He tipped his head back enough to be able to see the other boy's face, "Seriously, Caleb, he needs this as much as we do. Don't handle him with kid-gloves or he's just gonna snap."

He looked down at the blond with an arched eyebrow, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he said, "And don't change the subject. What's up with your mom?"

Reid cursed under his breath and untangled himself from Caleb, rolling away to lie on his back beside his brother. Caleb let him go, pleased when Reid kept a foot hooked around his calf, kept them connected while he flung an arm over his eyes and finally told him.

"We had a fight," he said on a sigh, "When we got home I found plane tickets for both of us to go to England for Christmas."

" _What_?"

"Said something about family. _What_ family? As far as I know she hasn't got any. Dad's parents died long before I was born and her's didn't want anything to do with her when she agreed to marry a Garwin." He drew in a breath and rubbed his face with his hands, and then threw his arm back over his eyes again, "I told her to cancel the ticket, we argued, and I left. Drove around for a while to clear my head before coming here."

Caleb was silent for a few minutes, watching Reid. "Why?"

"Why what? Why did I ask her to cancel the ticket?"

"No," Reid still hadn't moved, "Why come to me?"

It took a few seconds to Reid to respond, then he shrugged and said, "Why not?"

The oldest frowned slightly, "I just thought that you'd go to Tyler."

Another shrug, "I wanted to come to you." Something deep inside Caleb's chest warmed at the admission but before he could speak, Reid removed his arm and carried on, "I'm not spending our first Christmas together away from you guys."

The words caught Caleb's attention and he snorted, "We've spent Christmas together one way or another since we started Spenser."

"Not like this," he murmured softly, turning ice blue eyes onto Caleb. Even in the dark, he could feel the full weight of his gaze hit him like a sledgehammer, could see the seriousness glittering in the depths, "This is different."

The second Reid spoke the words he knew them to be true. It _was_ different. It wasn't going to be four friends, four brothers hanging out and bitching about this girl or that girl or what state their mother's were in. This year would be their first Christmas as lovers. Their relationship had been redefined over the past couple of months and Caleb suddenly realised the full extent the changes would have on the rest of their lives.

They stared at each other for a long time and it was Caleb who finally broke their tableau. Leaning over, he softly brushed his lips over Reid's, waiting for him to respond before taking it further. This was different as well. He'd kissed Reid a few times since this started, but those were full of blazing heat and a kind of feral instinct. Caleb felt the pressure of dry lips against his own and the hand, now warm and palm-flat against his skin, moving slowly up his arm and across his shoulder to rest curled around the nape of his neck. He felt Reid's body under his own as he moved, felt each rhythmic and steady breath lift his chest, the playful tip of a tongue that he caught and kissed before releasing. This was slow-burning and sensual, but no less passionate than those times before.

And suddenly something clicked. He'd felt the same thing when he kissed Tyler, standing shirtless in his bedroom. This kiss wasn't a teasing prelude to sex. It just... was.

When they eventually parted, Caleb found himself lying between Reid's thighs, his arms resting on the mattress and bracing his body over the blond's. Two hands cupped his face and Caleb had just enough time to turn his head to the side and kiss one palm before they moved back to his shoulders. He smiled and bent down to nuzzle at the pale throat below him.

"I thought this would be more awkward," Caleb murmured, lips following the same path, words flowing out of his mouth, "But it’s not. It's like... like..."

"Like you should feel wrong for doing this, but you can't because you want it - _need_ it - with everything you have inside you."

He pulled away slowly, brown eyes meeting understanding blue, shocked that his own feelings had been so perfectly explained. "Yeah." They stared at each other once more. "This isn't just about helping me through this anymore, is it?"

 _It never was. Not really_ , Reid thought in the privacy of his own head. With a lopsided smile he leaned up and nipped Caleb on the chin, nudging him with a knee until he rolled onto his side again. The blond contented himself with curling around the warm body under the covers and closing his eyes.

"Go back to sleep, Caleb."

For once, Caleb didn't argue.

\--------

The second time he woke was a much better experience. Instead of freezing fingers applying themselves to his skin and making him hiss, a warm wet tongue lapped slowly at his erection, pulling him gently away from sleep. A low hum rumbled through his chest and he stretched, both arms reaching up over his head to grip the headboard while his body arched and lengthened. Two arms curled loosely around his thighs, hands splayed out over each hip, and a wickedly talented tongue mapped out hard flesh.

"Mmm, mor'in'"

Reid sucked a kiss to the crease of his left thigh, making Caleb laugh and ruining the stretch. A muffled "Morning" came from beneath the blankets before the blond's mouth returned to its task of driving Caleb insane. The oldest settled back and closed his eyes again, letting Reid play. Tingles of Power crawled under his skin but it wasn't enough to hurry him just yet. He wound strands of blond hair around his fingers and massaged his scalp absently, causing Reid to purr and finally take his cock between his lips.

He got two long, teasing sucks in before the phone started ringing.

Caleb groaned, half in pleasure and half in frustration, and rolled his head to the side in an effort to locate his cell. Goosebumps raced across his skin as Reid sighed, his breath hitting the wet flesh, teasing him even more. The covers moved, pulled up and over, and Reid poked his head out and squinted at the older male.

"Leave it," he said, and Caleb wanted to obey. The picture his brother made between his spread thighs was enough to ramp up the Power-urge a little more. A smirk pulled at Reid's mouth, almost as if he knew what Caleb was thinking, and just to prove it he leaned down and ran his tongue in one long swipe from root to tip, wicked blue eyes on sleepy brown all the way.

"Nng." But the cell phone was still ringing and Caleb growled and stretched his arm out, palm open, and let the Power bring it to him. Teeth nipped at his thigh, accusing blue eyes peering at him from under mused blond hair.

"Naughty."

Caleb shrugged, ignoring the weird role-change, and glanced at the caller ID, "It's Tyler."

"Mm," Reid shifted up a little and rested his cheek against a hip, "You gonna answer it?"

"You want me to?"

He sighed, "I'm not gonna hide anything from him, just answer the phone."

Caleb squirmed, "I didn't mean-"

"-Just answer the goddamn phone, Caleb."

The dark-haired teen sent a muted glare down his body and answered the call, "Hey."

" _Hey, is Reid with you?_ "

Brown and blue eyes connected. There was an awkward pause, "...yeah."

Reid rolled his eyes and took the phone from Caleb's hand, pressing it to his ear, "Hey Baby boy."

" _I tried calling your cell, like, a million times and you didn't answer._ " Reid smiled at the petulant tone that filtered through the line. He doubted Tyler even realised how whiny he sounded.

"Yeah, I left it at home," He sighed and moved up a little until his cheek was pressed against Caleb's side.

" _You at Caleb's_?"

Reid hummed as firm fingers alternated between massaging and softly scratching along his scalp, "It's a long story. Come over? You know where the key is."

There was a pause before Tyler said, " _You're in bed with him aren't you._ "

It was the long-suffering tone that made him smile, glad that Tyler didn't think he was being left out, and tilted his head up to look at Caleb, "You interrupted his morning blow-job." He snickered when Tyler groaned and cursed his name, knowing what the mental image was doing to him. "Come over, baby. Always room for one more."

" _Damn. Be there in 10._ "

Reid grinned and tossed the phone to the mattress, not really caring where it landed. At the moment he only had eyes for Caleb. Moving swiftly, he rolled himself between strong thighs again and smirked up at him, feeling the tingles of Power shiver from Caleb's body to his own.

"Now... where were we?"

\--------

A wince and a soft indrawn breath between his teeth followed as Reid got out of the car later that afternoon. But his lips curved into a smile when he straightened and swung the door closed, locking it with the remote. His body felt pleasantly used. He stretched when he entered the house; long and hard, feeling the deep bittersweet ache in his lower back and ass. Reid's face melted into a self-satisfied smirk when he shook himself out again; damn if Caleb wasn't finally getting the point.

"Welcome home." The smile fell from his lips as Meredith stepped into the hallway. She looked as perfect as always with her arms crossed over her chest, but Reid knew she was tired. Guarded blue eyes regarded him coolly, "I trust you've calmed down after last night."

And right then Reid wanted nothing more than to turn tail and crawl back into bed with Caleb and Tyler. He didn't want to do this; he was still pissed off at her for springing it on him like that, and he made that clear in his expression as he by-passed her and cut through the lounge to get to the kitchen.

But Caleb had told him to go and talk to her, and grudgingly he went. He frowned into the refrigerator, trying to stall for time and knowing that it wouldn't do any good.

"You should know that I haven't cancelled the tickets."

Reid sighed, grabbed a bottle of gatorade and nudged the door closed with his hip before choosing one of the stools at the island to rest on. He hadn't expected her to. "What family?"

Meredith lifted an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"What family?" He repeated, a little slower as he twisted the cap off the bottle, "As far as I know, you parents disowned you when you married dad. So. What family?"

The older woman watched her son tip the bottle back and drink deep, but he didn't once take his eyes from her. He was expecting an answer and he wasn't going to back down until he got one. It was a trait, she recognised, that came from both sides of the family.

"I have an older brother. Stephen." She sighed softly and moved towards the island in the middle of the kitchen, arms tightening around herself, "He moved to England just before I met your father."

Reid watched her carefully, "You never mentioned him before."

"When I accepted Joseph's proposal, my mother told Stephen that I was no longer part of the family and that they wanted nothing to do with me. We spoke a few times after that, against my mother's wishes, but life just... got in the way and we lost contact." The line of her mouth sloped slightly with regret and a touch of sadness, "For many years actually. Up until last year." Reid quirked an eyebrow - another familiar expression - and Meredith sighed, "I didn't tell you because I didn't think it important at the time. I needed some time to sort out my own feelings about it."

He was silent, but he seemed to accept her answer and nodded slowly, "Ok. I get that. What I _don't_ get is why you want to drag me half way across the friggin' world to see an Uncle I've never met before."

"Because I have no blood relatives left anymore, Reid, and I want to make this connection for your sake as well as mine. He invited us over to spend Christmas with his family. His wife Charlotte sounds like a nice woman, and they have a son who is about your age, your cousin Ben." She shook her head in frustration as the blond started to interrupt with an outraged look on his face, "I _know_ that the boys are your family and I'm not trying to take that away from you, but can you at least consider this for me?"

Reid's mouth snapped shut, nostrils flared in his anger, but he held his tongue and kept his eyes down on the bottle between his hands. He never could stand to see her like this. It was important to her, he knew that, but it was also important to him to spend Christmas with his brothers. With the new developments in their relationship, he needed to spend time with them to figure out how they were going to work this. Caleb was right; it wasn't just about helping him out anymore. Feelings were deepening to a whole new level and it scared him just as much as it thrilled him.

There was silence between them for a while.

"Ok."

Surprised at the quiet answer, Meredith blinked. "Ok?"

"Yeah. Ok." Reid looked up then, meeting her gaze, "But I'm coming home before Christmas."

Similar blue eyes started to turn steely, "Reid-"

"-No, mom," he cut in before she could get her words out, "The tickets are for December 9. Plenty of time to spend with the _family_. Then I'm coming home to spend Christmas with _my_ family."

The older woman pressed her lips together to stop the argument falling from her tongue. Reid wasn't going to budge on the issue, that she knew, and pushing him would only make him resist more. Swallowing her words, she nodded slowly and agreed. "Ok."

But even as she agreed and watched her son's mood lighten a little, she knew that it wasn't going to last. Unfortunately, there were certain complications that came with her brother's new family, ones that would affect her son during their visit. Biting her lip, she fought an internal battle with herself as Reid moved around the kitchen in search of food; should she tell him now and risk the tentative truce between them?

Fate intervened before she had the chance to draw breath. Reid reached over without pause and plucked the ringing phone from the wall, trapping it between his ear and shoulder as he answered. Meredith let out her breath slowly and turned towards the stairs.

It would have to wait.

\--------

"There's my baby."

Pogue caught Danny's eye roll at the edge of his vision as he ran his fingertips tenderly over the shiny yellow body plate of his motorbike and smirked, letting his eyes wander critically over the machine to check if everything was in order.

"Jesus, get a room," Danny murmured, humour evident in his voice, "Its fine, ok? We fixed her up good, quit checkin'"

Pogue laughed and turned his attention to his friend, "Thanks for this, man. I owe you."

"Yeah, where've I heard that before?" The shaven-headed teen accepted the usual fist-bump from Pogue before leaning back against the work-surface behind him and crossing his ankles in front, "You know it's been ready for a week now, right?"

Pogue made a face, "Things have been crazy, man. Every time I tried to come over here, something came up."

Not exactly a lie, but there was no way of explaining the whole truth to his friend. He could hardly believe it had been just a week since he and Kate broke up. But he was telling the truth when he said it had been crazy; in the space of that week he'd become single again, had intense sexual fantasies about three other men, and had agreed to be a part of a crazy foursome with his 'brothers' because the freaky Power in his blood dictated it.

Crazy was an understatement.

Danny waved his excuse off, "No sweat." He lifted his chin and called out across the shop, "Yo Mel-"

"Whatever it is-" Came a female voice from the office at the back, "-get it yourself!"

Danny shook his head and muttered about little sisters and how annoying they were. Pogue snorted, but stayed with his bike until Danny returned. They settled up and he wheeled the bike out, looking up at the stormy skies with a critical eye.

"Reckon you've got about 10 minutes before you're soaked through," his friend said. Pogue flipped him off and swung his leg over the bike. Danny laughed and saluted him and turned back into the shop while Pogue zipped up his jacket and slid on his helmet.

The purr of the engine between his thighs nearly made him moan, but Pogue controlled himself and with a grin, squealed out onto the road and headed for home.


	19. Chapter 19

_'Stop staring'_

Tyler quickly dropped his eyes, fingers fumbling with his clothes. He felt the flush rise in his cheeks and hoped that he could still blame it on the steam from the shower he'd had after swim practice. Beside him, Reid laughed under his breath and Tyler sent him a muted glare and continued getting dressed.

_'I know he's hot, Ty, but this isn't the best place to be checking him out'_

Tyler caught the tone and turned up the heat in his glare, which only served to amuse the blond more. _'Fuck you.'_

Even as Reid wiggled his eyebrows at the suggestion and laughed at him, Tyler knew that for all his teasing, he was right. But it wasn't like he could help it! Sometimes Pogue was just asking to be stared at - all that skin stretched over those muscles, water droplets from the showers running down his chest-

"Yo," Tyler jumped. Reid smirked at him, already dressed, and flicked a finger against his shirt front, "You're doing it wrong."

The brunette looked down at himself, cursed, and started to unfasten all the wrong buttons. Reid laughed out loud and ruffled his damp hair. Tyler smacked his hand away and re-buttoned his shirt, hastily shoving his stuff into his bag and grabbed his blazer. Reid steered him out of the locker room and back into the school hallways, pinching him lightly when Tyler tried to catch one last glimpse of Pogue.

"You finally noticed, eh?"

Tyler squirmed, "Noticed what?" Reid gave him a look and artfully dodged to his other side so that the passing professor didn't pull him up on his uniform. Reid never bothered looking presentable, it just didn't suit him. Tyler sighed, "It's hard _not_ to notice, Re, but I kinda didn't expect to look at him and think-" He clamped his mouth shut as the hallway started filling up with students moving to their next class. _'-and think how amazing he'd be fucking me into the mattress.'_

Reid's answering hum was self-satisfied and indulgent, "Oh yeah." It was Tyler's turn to chuckle and bump Reid's shoulder, "What? I'm not the one panting like a bitch in the locker room." He paused, lowered his voice and leaned in close to murmur into Tyler's ear, "Hey, maybe you could jump him when I'm gone, see if he _really_ fucks as good as he looks."

The blond dodged him before he could punch him in the arm, and Tyler frowned even as a shiver of lust tripped down his spine. He'd been ignoring the date on purpose; had been really since the end of Thanksgiving vacation. Tyler sighed, "You have to remind me?"

Reid reached out, slung an arm around his shoulders as they walked down the hall, "Aww, you gonna miss me?" Tyler gave him a look. Reid sighed, dropping the humour from his voice, "C'mon, Ty, it's two weeks. I'll be back for Christmas."

The youngest made a face, "I know. Still don't like it."

The bell rang before Reid could answer and Tyler shook his head, moved forward until his arm slipped from his shoulders. The playful atmosphere between them had disappeared and Tyler's normal expression was forced. "I gotta get to class. Later."

Reid watched him go with a sigh, mentally cursing out his mother yet again for springing this on them. But even as he turned and jogged through the emptying hallways, the wheels in his brain were turning, plans forming and changing like smoke in his head, and as he took his seat in class and tried to look apologetic for his tardiness, he knew he wasn't going to get much work done. His mind was elsewhere, on other things that were a lot more pleasurable to think about than Ancient Greece.

\--------

Pogue waited outside the locker rooms for Caleb, trading 'hey man’s and 'see you laters' with some of the guys that were coming out. Every other Friday was usually the same; Pogue, Reid and Tyler would have swim practice together in the morning, while Caleb went to his World History class, and then next period they'd swap, with the three of them going off to regular classes while Caleb headed towards the pool. After his own class, Pogue would swing by and meet him, and they'd hang through their free period and wait for Reid and Tyler to join them.

That's the way it usually went anyway. With Caleb's Ascending, old man Danvers' death, and the Power throwing them all for a loop, their usual routine had been disrupted. But for the first time in a long time, Pogue felt that things were getting back to normal. As normal as it could be anyway.

Pogue frowned and checked his watch. The last guy in the class left a couple of minutes ago, and there was still no sign of Caleb. _Maybe Coach held him back or something_. Still frowning, Pogue slipped into the locker room and went to hunt Caleb down.

He'd expected to see Caleb sat on one of the benches, stuffing his feet into his shoes, but when he cast his gaze over the room, he wasn't there. It was empty.

"Caleb?" No answer. The quiet sound of running water teased the edge of his hearing and Pogue's frown deepened a little more as he turned and made his way towards the showers, "Caleb, c'mon man, why're you st-..."

The words died on Pogue's tongue the second he stood in the archway that separated the two rooms. His jaw slack, eyes wide and round as he stared, dumbstruck, at the picture Caleb made. Both hands braced against the tiled wall, his head bowed, hanging between his shoulders as water pounded on him from above, eyelashes dark crescents on his flushed cheeks. Steam coiled around him mysteriously, playing hide and seek around his naked body and Pogue suddenly found it very hard to breathe as his eyes came to rest on the hard cock that stood proud before him.

"Caleb?" His voice sounded loud in the room, echoing around the walls, but Caleb didn't flinch at the sound. Didn't seem surprised when he spoke, but he didn't answer either. Pogue cleared his throat, caught between embarrassment and being absurdly turned on. "Um... you want me to..."

Slowly, Caleb turned his head towards him and opened his eyes, looking at him from under his arm. Pitch black orbs stared at out at him, water running in rivers down his face to stream into his mouth and off his chin, and suddenly it was like the world was falling away. Electricity bolted through his body, one strong current from head to toe, frying Pogue’s nerve endings and turning his brain to mush. Power tingled along his skin, lifting the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck while something hot and molten stirred inside of him.

Before he even registered what he was doing, Pogue dropped his bag to the floor, long legs eating up the ground between them. It all happened so fast; moving in sync, Caleb turning to put his back to the wall and Pogue trapping him there between powerful arms while he fucked the other boy's mouth with his tongue. Within seconds his uniform was soaked through, his hair slick and catching on Caleb's fingers as he pushed them through, quick and rough and wanting. Caleb moaned into his mouth as his rigid cock brushed against Pogue's pants.

”Shit," he breathed when they stopped kissing, panting thick and wet, Power zipping around his body, dragging Pogue to him, making him want more. Pogue's mouth was already moving down, leaving desperate kisses and bites along his jaw, down his neck. But a sudden pang of guilt made him wince; it was too soon to do this to Pogue. The Power was seducing him. This wasn't right.

With great effort, Caleb wrapped his hands around Pogue's upper arms and pushed, forcing space between them and causing those honey glazed eyes to look at him in dazed confusion. Still breathing hard, Caleb shook his head, meeting that gaze for a second before fixing on a point over his shoulder. "Can't. Can't make you do this."

Pogue's hands flexed on Caleb's wrists, frown just showing under the lengths of wet hair sticking to his face. His heart was pounding, his head was spinning, and his dick was twitching in his soaked pants... and Caleb wanted to _stop_? "Cay-"

But Caleb shook his head, looking pained, "Fuck. Said we'd take it slow. I won’t push you into this." He swallowed roughly, glanced down and grimaced at the painful hard-on. "I'll... I'll be- _nnng!_ "

Pogue's hand wrapped around his erection before he could finish. His arms weakened, along with his knees, and Pogue took the opportunity to push forward again, applying his body to Caleb's once more, thigh slipping between legs. "Fuck that," he growled into his ear, the words drowning out the sound of the spray, hand squeezing roughly on its prize. Caleb's mouth opened on a gasp, his eyes fluttering closed and fingers tightening, clawing around Pogue's wet shoulder. "You don't just _look_ at me like that, make me _feel_ like this, and then back off."

The oldest hissed when Pogue set up a punishing rhythm, eyes shut tight and head falling back to the wall with soft thump, giving Pogue free reign on his throat. He bucked and moaned, murmuring words of encouragement into the steamy air, unable to control himself. His protests fell to the back of his mind, and all he could do was feel the sensation of wet skin and cloth, of a hot tongue bathing his throat, and of the Power burning inside him. "Fuck... Pogue..."

Pogue's tongue slid along the corded muscle in Caleb's throat, fist working faster and harder as his own groin throbbed. He was soaked to the bone, his uniform sticking to him in uncomfortable ways, but he didn't care. He couldn't think of anything except pushing Caleb to climax and kissing him again. He _wanted_ it, more than anything he'd wanted ever before. All his protests, all his reservations about this bond, about the way the Power made them, faded to background noise as the pounding in his ears got louder. "C'mon Caleb, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon," he chanted, nipping at the skin just behind his ear, feeling the body under him buck hard.

Short fingernails scraped against his scalp, dragging his head back enough to plunge a slick, agile tongue into his mouth, muffling gruff moans and high whines as the two boys rocked and bucked together. Pogue's hand worked over his cock faster, aided by the water and the pre-come that was slicking the skin, and Caleb's mind was begging for more. But the sweet pleasure peaked sharply, shooting lines of fire down his spine as he came, shuddering and moaning, hips bucking in Pogue's grasp. The long haired teen groaned softly, taking him through the aftershocks until Caleb whimpered, and then he moved his hand to a naked hip, almost purring when Caleb's fingers rubbed at his scalp.

"God," Caleb panted. He reached out with a shaking hand, fingers fumbling for the knob to shut off the water. Once the water stopped, the sounds of their breathing sounded almost too loud to their own ears. "Shit."

"Yeah." Pogue lifted his head, brought his eyes level with Caleb's and made the oldest look at him. They stared at each other, mouths barely an inch apart. "Caleb?"

"Hmm?"

But Pogue didn't finish. Instead he moved forward that extra inch and kissed him once more, letting the shiver trip down his spine when Caleb responded without thought. He tasted like clean water and Power and Pogue couldn't stop the low noises in the back of his throat when Caleb shifted against him, pressing against his groin. "Please," he murmured into his mouth, "Caleb"

Caleb's hand moved between them, twisted and pressed against the significant bulge in his wet pants. Pogue groaned, bucked into him, and Caleb pulled back from the kiss to watch the pleasure contort his features. He'd seen it on Reid's and Tyler's faces, but never on Pogue's. And he wanted more. His fly was unzipped and his hand was sliding down into his equally wet boxers before Caleb had a chance to think about it, and the low cursing groan and shiver he got in response was definitely worth it. He wrapped his fingers around Pogue's length, let the other boy buck and thrust against him, and thumbed against the head twice before he came with a trembling sigh against his mouth.

"Having fun?"

They jumped apart in shock, heads whipping towards the third voice that echoed in the room. Reid snickered at them, eyebrow arched haughtily as he dragged his gaze over Caleb's naked body first, and then Pogue's soaked, still fully-clothed one. The passion-fuelled Power reached out to him and curled around his own, tugged at him, but he knew the heat had already dampened down. He licked his lips as his gaze lingered on Pogue's open pants. But damn if it didn't turn him on.

"Is he good, Caleb?" He murmured, low and throaty.

"Reid."

The blond smirked at the almost wounded groan and then lifted his gaze Caleb, shrugged, "What? If you ask me, it's about freakin' time."

Pogue laughed softly, pushing his wet hair back from his face and trying to ignore the flush that heated his cheeks as he zipped up his pants again, making a face at himself. "I need to change."

"Yeah, you're a bit wet," Reid said with a smirk, watching Caleb walk by. His stomach flipped, arousal coiling low in his gut, "Jesus, Caleb, you're killing me here."

"Don't even think about it," Caleb muttered, grabbing his towel and drying off quickly, "We don't have time, and even if we did, I don't think I could stand it."

Reid sighed, reigned himself in, "Shame."

"What're you doing here anyway?" Pogue said, opening his locker for a spare shirt, "Where's Tyler?"

"Class let out early," he murmured, watching Caleb dress, "And Tyler's the reason I went looking for you."

The eldest lifted his head, looking worried as he grabbed his shirt and slid it on, "Why? Is he ok?"

"He's bummed about me leaving," Shrugged, making a face briefly, "I don't like it."

"There's not much you can do about it, Re," Pogue said, stuffing his legs into his spare pair of pants, "Apart from not go. Which isn't an option." Reid lifted an eyebrow, "What? Dude, I know your mom."

The blond snorted, "Yeah, so do I. Which means it isn't an option." His lips curved into a smirk as he looked from one brother to the other, "But it's not the _only_ option. I've been thinking..."

Pogue blinked at the tone in his voice, glanced at Caleb just as Caleb looked at him. "Why don't I like the sound of that?"

"Trust me, boys," Reid said, slinging an arm around both boy's necks as they walked out of the locker rooms together, "You're going to want to hear me out on this one..."

\--------

Tyler couldn't stop himself from noticing the differences. Sure, they'd all piled into Caleb's den before, sank into the comfy couches in front of the TV to chill out and watch a movie. Movie nights were common place, they'd done it hundreds of times since... well, ever since they could remember. But this one... this one was different.

The difference wasn't in what they were doing. There was still a movie playing on the wide screen TV and they were still all piled in Caleb's den, munching popcorn and popping soda cans. The difference was in how they were positioned. The natural space between them no longer existed. They seemed to mesh together in a way they never had before. Tyler's right leg was warm, pressed up against Caleb's intimately, while his left was haphazardly thrown over Reid's lap. Long fingers mindlessly stroked his ankle, brushing occasionally over the sensitive dip and making him shiver. Instead of taking the second couch, Pogue had opted to settle himself on the floor on the other side of Caleb, his back against the sofa and his legs bent and parted to see the TV.

The four of them had always been close; closer than most friends. More like family.

But this was the start of so much more.

He tried to focus on the movie, but he was too distracted. Reid would be leaving tomorrow morning. That cold hard fact had been swimming around his head all day, and while he hated to think of himself as the needy boyfriend, he really didn't want him to go. Logically, he knew it was only for a short time, and Reid would be back before he knew it, but...

Tyler sighed softly, causing Reid to glance his way, tighten his grip on his ankle gently. "You ok?"

He nodded, threw a smile that he didn't feel in Reid's direction and then tried to focus on the screen once more. Caleb shifted beside him, stretching his arm out along the back of the sofa, fingers absently playing with Tyler's hair until the youngest sighed softly and leaned back into the touch.

Reid and Caleb exchanged looks over Tyler's head; a question and an answer. He felt Pogue move, tilt his head back to look at them, and saw Reid give him the same. Tyler was all but oblivious to it; eyes half closed as he lost himself to the hypnotic motions of Caleb's fingers.

When Reid told them about his idea for tonight, Caleb had to fight the urge to grab the youngest right there and then and drag him off to get a head start. Reid didn't go into detail. He’d smirked at them and told them he wanted to keep it a surprise for them too, but what he did say was enough to get Caleb’s mind racing.

_"It’s simple: make Ty as mindless and drunk on us as we can. Rev him up so hard that he'll beg for us, make him so hot that he'll scream for us, make him so delirious that he'll forget that I'm leaving - at least for a little while. Make him ours."_

Slowly, the plan was set in motion.

Reid shifted against the couch a little, enough to roll his head comfortably to the side and watch Tyler instead of the movie. It took a few seconds for Tyler to realise, and he frowned a little, sleepy eyes moving from the screen to Reid's face. They stared at each other for a moment, the light from the screen casting ever-moving shadows on their faces, before Reid dropped forward those spare couple of inches and kissed him.

Tyler responded automatically. His eyes fluttered shut as he gave himself over to Reid's mouth; let the blond feather kisses along his lips and jaw. Caleb's finger's continued rubbing his scalp, the gentle massage making him purr against Reid's lips.

"You ok, baby boy?" The words were murmured, hushed against his parted lips, and even in the mellowed out state that he was sliding into, he could tell they were amused. His mouth quirked at the corners, but he didn't bother opening his eyes. Reid smiled, ran the tip of his tongue along Tyler's top lip before dipping inside playfully to find its mate. Tyler moved, turning his body to face Reid better, to give himself more.

Pogue settled against Caleb's leg, his cheek and chin warm through the denim. They watched as Reid pulled him closer, moving Tyler until he was all but sitting in his lap, arms and hands stroking, touching as lazily as they kissed. Pogue didn't think anything like this could make him hot, but every second was proving him wrong. He saw the way their tongues touched, danced in and out of their mouths sensually. He saw the way their lips parted, came together, clinging to every second of feeling; the way Reid's jaw worked under Tyler's palm and the way Tyler's thumb stroked his cheek. Tender, loving, sincere.

To even think that they were willing to give that to them was mind-blowing.

Gentle fingers pushed through his hair and Pogue glanced up quickly to find Caleb focused on him. He resisted the urge to gulp at the emotion pouring out of the dark orbs and instead nodded slowly to the question that wasn't asked, ran his hand along a strong calf to back it up. He was ok with this now. He knew what was at stake, why this had to happen. It might have taken him a while to get it, but he was there now. He understood.

Caleb nodded back at him, stared at him for a few seconds more, and then turned back to Reid and Tyler. The youngest's new position put his back directly to Caleb, and he reached out to trail his fingers along his spine, smiling at the shiver it produced. He caught Reid looking at him from over his shoulder, and without another word, leaned forward and nipped at Tyler's shoulder.

The youngest drew in a shocked breath, eyes still closed as he held himself still. Reid's breath fanned out across his face while Caleb's skated across the back of his neck. "Re... Reid."

"It's ok, baby," the blond responded, trailing his hand down Tyler's arm, nudging him to lean back into Caleb, "We'll take care of you."

Slow and loving turned to hot and heavy quicker than any of them expected. Tyler arched up, the odd position ignored in favour of meeting Caleb's mouth half way, one arm now curled up behind the eldest's head. He felt Reid's hands glide across his chest, his sides, knowing just where to touch, just were to stroke to get him squirming. His t-shirt was pushed up and a mouth sealed over his nipple before he registered it, and Tyler groaned and arched up more into that hot mouth.

"God..." Pogue choked out, now kneeling up against the couch and watching the three of them. Reid pulled away, nipping the hard bud and making Tyler jerk against them. He lifted lust glazed eyes to Pogue's, licked his lips seductively and smirked when the biker swallowed, hard.

"Just the beginning."

\--------

"Hey."

Reid glanced up from the tabletop, blue eyes quickly finding and focusing on the body that belonged to the soft voice. Even in the dark he knew Tyler's form, framed in the doorway and clad in a pair of sweatpants which he assumed was Caleb's, since they seemed to be barely clinging to his slim hips. Reid threw him an answering smile and watched his boyfriend move closer, gaze automatically pin-pointing the darkening bruises across his chest that he knew to be the perfect shape of his mouth. Except for the one at his hip, half hidden by the waistband of the track-pants. The mouth that made that particular mark was attached to the body still asleep upstairs, curled around the eldest member of their foursome.

"It's early," Reid said, following Tyler as he took the stool next to him, "You should still be asleep."

"Could say the same for you." Tyler yawned and used one hand to scrub through his sex hair and the other to snag Reid's coffee and sip at it. "Were you gonna leave without saying goodbye?"

The words were so tone-neutral that Reid had to wince. "No."

"Liar," Tyler snorted, sliding the coffee back to him and resting his elbow on the counter, his head in his hand and his sleep-glazed eyes staring at him, "You fucked me stupid last night to make me forget you were leaving."

Reid could have denied it, but it would be no use. Tyler knew him entirely too well. Instead he reached out and pushed his own hand though soft brown hair, thumb grazing his temple. "Guess I didn't fuck you stupid enough, huh?"

Tyler laughed and swatted at his hand, "Reid, had you fucked me any harder last night, I would have died from heart failure." He squirmed a little on his stool, "God, half of me thinks I _did_."

Reid chuckled and reached out to press gently against the bite mark on his hip, "Nope. Still alive, lover."

Tyler shuddered, quickly caught Reid's hand to keep the pressure on just a little while longer. When he answered, his voice was rough, "Trust me, I know."

The blond smirked a little in the darkness and leaned over to press his mouth to Tyler's chastely before standing and necking the dregs of his coffee. "Prince Charming and Sleeping Beauty still out cold?"

"Yeah," Tyler said, twisting around to watch Reid move towards the large sink and give his mug a cursory wash through. He was dressed again, yesterdays jeans and t-shirt wrinkled a little, left on the floor where they'd dropped in favour of bare skin. There wasn't a bit of himself that Tyler wasn't aware of now. His body was sore, used, worn out. He may not have remembered how he got from the sofa in Caleb's den to his bed, but he couldn't forget the way Reid felt inside him, the way Pogue's hands had felt on his skin, the taste of him on his tongue. He couldn't forget the look in Caleb's eyes as he watched them from the desk chair, eyes smouldering while his hand moved up and down his cock.

He shivered.

"Cold?"

Tyler's eyes refocused, caught the concerned look Reid was giving him, and shook his head, turning on his stool to face him, "You have to leave right now?"

"Yeah. We gotta catch an early flight from Logan, so..." Reid sighed, stepped up until he was in Tyler's personal space, standing in the space made for him when Tyler parted his knees, "I'll be back. It's not for long, ok?" He leaned down slowly, maintaining eye contact all the way until light blue irises filled his vision and their lips were millimetres apart. "Ok?"

He felt the expelled air across his lips and Tyler gave in and kissed him, hands sliding across his hips and fingers hooking into the waistband of his low riding jeans like he could keep him there forever. He opened for him without question, tongue chasing the taste of coffee on Reid's tongue, and under that, the taste of himself.

When they pulled back, Reid let his forehead rest against Tyler's while their got their breath back. Reid watched him, eyes closed, lips parted to pull in air, cheeks flushed. He smiled. "Miss me?"

"Always." The answer was immediate. Blue eyes flicked open to stare into deep blue. They stayed like that for a minute longer, and then Reid broke their staring contest to lean up and press a kiss to the youngest's forehead.

"Good," he said, pulling away fully to grab his hoodie from the back of his stool and his keys from the counter. Tyler didn't move except to watch him, but when Reid stood in the archway that separated the kitchen from the main hallway, he found himself smiling at the blond and meaning it. "See you in coupla weeks, baby boy."

"Yeah. See you."

The sound of the front door closing finally made Tyler slide from the stool and move into the main room. A shiver stole over him and he rubbed his arms absently as he stood the window, looking out onto the long, curved drive bathed in early morning darkness. He saw the headlights of Reid's Charger come on, heard the purr of the engine as it started up, and watched as he pulled the car around. Reid turned and blew him a kiss and Tyler snorted and rolled his eyes at the teasing gesture, but felt his lips curve anyway as he lifted his hand and waved.

He watched the tail lights get smaller and smaller until they finally got past the gate at the end of the drive and turned to speed off into the dark.

With a small sigh, Tyler turned away from the window and headed back towards the stairs, rubbing his arms as he went. He supposed December wasn't really the right time of year to be wandering around half-naked.

When he got back to the bedroom, he found Pogue rolled out towards the other side of the bed, and in the middle was Caleb, stretched out on his back with one arm behind his head. Dark eyes glittered in the moonlight that came from the open curtains.

"Reid gone?" He asked, voice hushed in the quiet of the room. Tyler nodded and shimmed out of his sweatpants, sliding under the covers and into the space made by the aforementioned blond. He got as close to Caleb as possible and smirked when Caleb hissed as cold skin pressed against warm. When he was settled, Caleb turned his face into Tyler's hair and kissed his forehead, "He'll be back."

"Yeah," he replied, equally as soft. He tilted his head back to look up at the eldest, a small smirk playing around his mouth, "But what am I supposed to do in the meantime?"

Caleb's smile was slow, "I'm sure we'll keep you busy, baby boy."

"You better," Tyler growled threateningly, leaning up to kiss him quickly, and then prodding the eldest back over onto his back. Caleb laughed as Tyler slid over him, practically sprawling out on him like a blanket and tucking his head under his chin. His hands skimmed over his bare back, relaxing into the bed and the comfortable weight of his brother - his lover - in his arms.

It wasn't long before they both drifted off to the sound of Pogue's soft snores and the quietness of the dawn.


	20. Chapter 20

**Epilogue**

**Christmas Eve 2006**

_"Hey, this is Tyler. You know the drill." beeeep_

"Hey baby, we've just touched down and we're coming home. I know I'm late, stupid fucking flights, I'm sorry. Hopefully you'll get this before I get home. I missed you. Love you."

Reid quickly wrapped up the message and shut down his cell as he saw his mother approach. Ok, so she knew about his relationship with Ty, but that didn't mean she got to hear him being a chick about it. He leaned back against the metal barrier and watched her move through the automatic doors, looking tired and just a little harassed, with a luggage handler trailing behind her.

Reid had been due to fly back two days ago, but there had been a problem with the tickets, and then again with the flight itself. His mom had decided to return with him, for reasons still not completely clear to him.

"Are you ready?" She asked when she neared, letting the young man pass so he could unload their bags into the car waiting for them. He nodded to her and turned, following her into the back of the sleek car. As soon as their luggage was in the trunk and they were settled, the driver pulled away and started the journey towards home.

It had been a strange couple of weeks. He'd met his Aunt and Uncle, spent two weeks in their home, and had absolutely no desire to ever see them again. They were closed minded and their views on certain topics made him angry, but for the sake of his mother, he'd swallowed his pride and let it go.

The only good thing to come out of the whole fiasco was Ben, his sarcastic cousin, who had somehow made the trip worth it. For two weeks they'd talked and got to know each other, and bonded over common ground. They'd swapped cell phone numbers and email address before he'd left, and Ben had made him promise to email when he got home, if only to tell him how good the welcome home sex was. _"Hey, I'm depressingly single, I've got to live vicariously through you now."_

"Are you ok, honey?"

Startled, Reid glanced up at his mom, sat beside him in the back of the car. Her pale blonde hair was pulled back into a perfect French twist at the back of her head, her sweater and pants combo looking as fresh as they had that morning. Sometimes he wondered how she did it; how she managed to look so perfect.

"Yeah," he answered, "Yeah. Just glad to be home."

She reached out and ran her hand over his hair, and Reid let her, even though he was too old to let his mother fuss over him like that. Weary blue eyes regarded him for a moment before she spoke.

"I'm sorry about Charlotte and Stephen," she said sincerely, "I should have told you before we arrived, but I was selfish and I didn't want you angry at me again so I said nothing. And, I think, a part of me had hoped that it wasn't as bad as it seemed."

Reid shrugged, "If you'd have told me that they were homophobic assholes then I wouldn't have gone," he caught the wince but noticed that she didn't correct him, "but then I wouldn't have met Ben, and he's cool. I liked him. So, it wasn't a complete loss."

She smiled at him, nodded, and turned to look out of the window again.

His cell beeped and he pulled it out of his jeans pocket to read the message: _hey, meet us at my house. welcome home, blondie. C_

Reid snorted, fired off a quick reply: _asshole. be there soon._

Once sent, he slid the phone back into his pocket and looked out into the dark to watch the lights of the highway pass by, smiling. He was home.

\--------

Caleb smiled as he read the text message and tossed the cell to the armchair when he'd finished.

"Reid?"

The breathy question caused him to turn. Passion glazed blue eyes stared out from under heavy eyelids. Caleb watched with a smug smile as Pogue's mouth teased along Tyler's jaw, eyes closed as he focused on his task of pulling Tyler under.

"Yeah," he answered, voice low even though there was no need, "He'll be here soon, baby boy."

The smile he received could have been called blissful, and Caleb wasn't sure if it was caused by the knowledge of Reid's return or Pogue's teeth along his throat.

Caleb moved to join them. They'd set themselves up in the den for a seasonal movie-fest while they waited for Reid to come home. Or so Tyler had been lead to believe. Instead it turned into a slow, hot seduction, and Tyler had found himself powerless to stop it. The eldest settled down the other side of Tyler, reaching out to run his fingers through messy brown hair. He purred, then hissed as Pogue's teeth found just the right spot.

"God, Pogue," he breathed, restless hands moving over strong shoulders, built arms, while his eyes fluttered closed, head tipped back. While Pogue tugged at his clothes, Caleb moved in and pressed his lips to the high wing of his cheekbone and pulled in a deep breath. Tyler's scent filled him, the Power moving from a hum to a buzz in the back of his mind, and Caleb couldn't stop himself from moaning softly when Tyler turned and found his mouth, when a hand moved along his thigh to press against his groin.

"How 'bout we take this somewhere else," Pogue murmured roughly, pulling back enough to watch the two boy's kiss. Honey coloured eyes tracked the movement of their tongues passing in and out of each other’s mouths and lust shivered down his spine. He may have been new to this, but god, watching them kiss was unlike anything he'd ever known.

Caleb was first to break the lip-lock, dark eyes stormy with passion and lips swollen and bruised.

"Yeah," he replied in a voice that made Pogue bite his lip, "Let's give Reid something to come home to."

\--------

Reid frowned as he looked around the large foyer. When he'd let himself in, he'd expected at least one of the guys to meet him. Instead, all that greeted him when he opened the door was a dark and, by the looks of it, empty house.

_What the fu-_

The thought remained unfinished as he sucked in a quick breath. A wave of unchecked Power shivered through him, lust and heat and pleasure carried with the tide. It left him panting and staring hazy-eyed towards the stairs. Then a slow, lazy smile spread across his face as he headed up.

The image of them would forever be burned onto his mind. They were kneeling in the centre of the bed, knees spread as far as they could go, naked skin slick with perspiration. Tyler trembled in the circle of Pogue's strong arms, taking every slow, torturous thrust the older boy was giving him. The low light couldn't hide the flush of his lover's skin, or the way his hands clutched at Pogue's forearms like they were life-rafts, and Reid had to swallow, hard, as he watched them from the doorway, the Power sliding over him like sweet honey.

_'He missed you'_

Five seconds passed before Reid managed to pull his gaze away from one heart-stopping sight to another. Caleb was ensconced in the desk chair, shirtless, his jeans open to expose his erection and the fist wrapped around it. Saliva pooled in Reid's mouth as he watched the hand move up and down his cock lazily. He'd left a little over two weeks ago to a similar scene, sure as hell didn't expect to come back to it.

 _'Just him?'_ The retort was intended to be cocky, but he couldn't make the delivery. It was heat and fire, surprise, and a little of the insecurity he so rarely showed. Caleb's lips curved into a small smile.

_' **We** missed you'_

Reid nodded slowly, his attention caught again by Tyler and Pogue. _'How long have they...?'_

Caleb sent him a mental shrug, _'A while.'_ The eldest smirked, watched as Reid moved further into the room, slowly around the bed. The smirk widened when the blond shed his hoodie and pulled the layers of shirts over his head, then got up on his knees on the bed to join them.

"Re... Re..."

Shivers broke out over his skin at the hoarse, fucked out voice that said his name. It raked over him, scraping against every hot spot he knew of. Blue eyes fixed on him through cracked eyelids, gazed with pleasure and heat and everything he was feeling. This is what he missed before. The look on his face as they fucked him stupid.

"Hey baby," he murmured, soft and low, keen eyes watching as Pogue's hips drew back oh so slowly and then push back in, keeping the pace deliberate. He could see how much it was costing Pogue, the strain on his face said it all, and Reid couldn't stop himself from reaching out over Tyler's shoulder and pushing his fingers through sweaty hair. Pogue grunted softly, pressed his mouth against Tyler's temple and opened his eyes. The look was like a punch to the gut, knocking the breath right out of Reid's body.

He swallowed reflexively a few times, trying to wet his suddenly dry throat. Unable to stand it, he dropped his eyes to Tyler's shoulder, and followed the mouth shaped bruises along his chest. Some of them were old and fading, from the last time, but a few were fresh; the flesh red and raw and deepening to darker shades. Reid reached out, trailed his fingertips along the new marks and listened to the youngest whimper. His body read like a map of lust and sin and the rest of Reid's blood rushed south.

God, he'd never stop wanting him.

Wanting _them_.

_'Look at me'_

The command went straight through Tyler's body and settled down where the ache was, deep inside. He made some sort of broken noise, hands squeezing on Pogue's muscles as he took all of his cock once more; thick rod sliding in slow and steady, filling him up in just the right way. His body ached, trembled, felt used and stretched and full in so many ways.

_'Tyler. Look at me'_

He had no choice but to obey. White fire leaped in those blue eyes, blazed until it scorched his soul, but even though he moaned pitifully he couldn't look away. He stared back as a cool hand touched the fevered skin of his stomach, fingers spread wide, feeling every flutter, every jump of his muscles as he was slowly fucked into insanity. But it was the hot spark in those eyes that held him captive, that put his body on alert. Something was going to happen. Anticipation coiled in his gut along with the lust, the ache in the centre of his body.

The hand left.

And then returned, cupped around his angry erection; cool fingers sliding on burning flesh.

Blue eyes held.

"Now."

Everything inside Tyler surged; the low, firm word acting as the permission he needed. He cried out, arched against the arms that held him securely pinned to Pogue's larger frame, and shook violently as his body rushed to obey the command.

Reid ate him up like a starving man seeing food for the first time. Every muscle strained through his completion, head thrown back in abandon, nails clawing at Pogue's arms and scoring his skin and using it, Reid thought, as his only tie to solid ground. The lithe body jerked and shuddered, bucking against the strong hold, and through it all Reid held his cock in his palm, felt it pulse as stream after stream of spunk hit him.

Tyler couldn't breathe. Every single cell, every atom, was shaking. He couldn't see anything but the explosion of colours in his mind, couldn't hear anything but the sound of his own blood roaring in his ears, couldn't feel anything but the pleasure and the pain and the wave after wave of pure sensation ripping through his very being and remaking him into something completely new. Something he had no name for yet. It tore him apart and rebuilt him, and god, if he never felt this again he'd die.

Slowly, the shudders tailed off and Tyler went limp against Pogue's arms. Pogue rocked him back and forth, murmuring nonsense words into his ear, pressing soothing kisses to his shoulder, the back of his neck as he shivered uncontrollably in his arms. Sweat trickled down his spine while his come slid down the inside of Tyler's thighs, and he cracked his eyes open just in time to watch Reid lick every last drop of Tyler's offering from his palm.

"Fuck."

Caleb stood by the bed, naked and ready and looking pained as hot eyes roved over them. Reid watched him as he sucked each of his fingers into his mouth, teasing and deliberate and more than ready for whatever the eldest had to give. And by the looks of things, he had a lot to give.

"You ok, Caleb?" He asked, cocking his head to one side and letting himself glide on the Power trip, "You look a little... tense."

They stared at each other for a few seconds, blue on black, and before Reid had chance to react, Caleb dragged him off the bed and bent him over it.

"You... really have... no... idea," Caleb said as he roughly unfastened his jeans and yanked the denim down his legs, along with his shorts. Reid's fingers gripped the wrinkled sheets, head spinning as Caleb kicked his legs apart, clothes still wrapped around his ankles, and positioned him exactly how he wanted him.

Hot breath skated over his shoulder, words hot and heavy in his ear.

"Welcome home."

Power shot though his body like lightning and Reid had a split second to gasp as it slicked and stretched his body before Caleb slammed into him, balls deep. He cried out, clutching so tight to the sheets that his skin turned white, and he had no choice but to hold on as Caleb's hips pistoned in and out of him. "Yes, fuck, Caleb. God, more... like that, fuck yeah." He took it hard and fast, just the way he needed it, the burn in his ass adding to the pleasure that coiled ever tighter in his belly.

Pogue watched them from Tyler's shoulder, knew that if he could get hard again, he'd be joining them. He snorted to himself, pulled Tyler in tighter and shifted until he could sit back on the bed, cradle the youngest with his body. He had no idea how far, how fast this was going to grow between them, but damn if he could stop it now. He didn't want it to stop. Not when he could see Caleb completely give in to his need, not when he could watch Reid hiss and curse and clutch the bed sheets as he got pounded. Not when he could hold Tyler like this.

"Harder... harder, dammit Cay!" He moaned, spreading himself open as much as he could, giving everything he had over to the eldest Son. He needed this. He needed to feel them again, their connection, their bond. Everything. He wanted to feel Caleb taking him and still be able to feel it days afterwards. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon! God... oh god, oh fuckfuckfuck _fuck_!"

The coil snapped and Reid shuddered and jerked under Caleb's hands, coming so hard he couldn't see straight. He pressed his forehead to the cool sheets and moaned softly as Caleb's hands gripped his hips tight and held him still as he thrust hard twice before letting go himself.

"Jesus... fuck," Reid muttered, ending on a weak laugh. "Think I should go away more often."

\--------

Christmas dinner lacked the tension of their previous Thanksgiving, something for which Caleb was truly grateful. His mother looked happier, healthier than he had seen her in a long long time. She was visiting a private clinic in Boston to help her deal with her alcohol addiction, and while he knew she wasn't fully over it, it was a damn good start. Aunt Meredith looked more relaxed as she talked to Gorman, who had decided to spend the Holidays in Ipswich rather than head out to his cabin. The older man glanced his way, inclined his head towards him in acknowledgement, and returned to the conversation. He had a feeling Gorman was going to stick around for a while.

The dark-haired teen leaned against the door frame as his gaze moved on to Reid and Tyler. Warmth sped through him and he smiled softly as they huddled close and talked. Anyone else, he realised, would look at them and just see two guys shooting the breeze, but Caleb saw something else. He saw the way their bodies turned into each other, two heads bent forwards, the way Tyler's eyes lingered on Reid's mouth as he told him about his vacation in England. He'd always loved them - as friends and as brothers - but the slow burning heat that settled deep in his gut was something else entirely.

Something new and exciting and powerful; something he was definitely looking forward to exploring.

An uncapped beer bottle waved in front of his face and Caleb blinked as his thoughts scattered. He straightened and took the bottle from Pogue's hand with a nod of thanks, their fingers brushing slightly. Pogue watched him as he lifted the bottle to his lips and drank, and then jerked his head towards the kitchen. Caleb nodded, followed.

"What now?"

Caleb blinked, watched as his brother turned to lean against the counter, "Excuse me?"

"What happens now?" He repeated, "We're bonded together through the Power. Is this what it's going to be forever?"

Caleb swallowed and lowered his eyes in case the sudden flash of fear showed in them. Ever since Pogue had him in the showers, he'd been waiting for him to bolt again. He loved Pogue, but he also knew him well, and he had a bad track record of running when something got too hard or he was too far out of his comfort zone. Caleb had just been waiting for him to turn around and tell him that maybe this wasn't what he wanted.

"Hey," Caleb looked up in surprise. Pogue stepped closer, shaking his head, "I'm not... this isn't me saying I don't want it. Promise. God, the last couple of weeks have been beyond." He caught Caleb's eye, "I'm not gonna run like my dad did. I'm here for the long haul, Caleb. I just want to know what happens now. We Ascend, and then what?"

The dark haired teen let out a long breath, "I haven't really had a lot of time to study the Book, but as far as I can make out, as each one of us Ascends, the bond between us grows stronger." He looked at Pogue, "You turn 18 in a week. Another piece will slot into place and you'll feel at least some of what I've been going through for the past three months. You'll need us like you've never needed us before."

Pogue flushed slightly, but didn't look away. "I got that. But after we're all Ascended?"

Caleb moved to take one of the bar stools that sat next to the breakfast bar, "The urges we get will slow down. We won’t be as needy as we are now," he snorted, lips curling up into a small smile, "I won’t feel the need to screw you all into next week."

"But don't let that stop you."

They turned to see Reid and Tyler walk through the swinging doors. Caleb rolled his eyes at the blond, who smirked at him and hopped on the stool next to him. Tyler stood next to Pogue and snagged the bottle from his hands to drink before handing it back. "Ignore him, he's just horny ‘cause he didn't get any for two weeks."

"Hey, how'd you know I didn't?"

Tyler arched his eyebrow at the blond, who squirmed a little under the stare and then sighed, "Ok, ok, I didn't."

"And then?" Pogue asked, expecting an answer from Caleb, but instead got one from Tyler.

"And then we just take each day as it comes." The youngest shrugged, looked around at each of them. "What comes next is up to us. What we want for ourselves, for each other. I'm gonna spend some time with the Book and see what I can get out of all the new stuff that's appeared, but... We stick together. We'll figure it out."

Pogue nodded at the wise words and felt some of the tension he'd been carrying around for the past couple of weeks melt away. He still wasn't used to this and he still needed time, but he was getting there. He'd meant what he said to Caleb; he was gonna stick around for this. He was through living up to his dad's rep. It was time he dealt with things instead of running away from them.

"But in the meantime, we get naked and fuck like Power-tripping bitches in heat."

Caleb choked on his mouthful of beer and glared at the blond while Pogue and Tyler laughed. Reid grinned and kissed him dead on the mouth, pulling away with a small nip to his bottom lip and then left him to catch his breath. The Power prickled under his skin, just a small shiver to remind him what they did to him. Even now it caught him off guard and made his heart speed up just that little bit at the thought, and while he let their conversation flow around him and watched the expressions play across their faces, Caleb smiled.

Whatever their future held, they'd face it together.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [In Silence, I Shatter](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1035605) by [PeachFire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeachFire/pseuds/PeachFire)




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